Peacekeeper who killed man at Utah anti-Trump 'No Kings' rally was firing at potential shooter: police

Ottawa Citizen

7 hours ago

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A man who was believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City shot at a person who was brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, striking both the rifleman and a bystander who later died at the hospital, authorities said Sunday.
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Police took the alleged rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, 24, into custody Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a Sunday news conference. The bystander was Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, a fashion designer from Samoa.
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Detectives don't yet know why Gamboa pulled out a rifle or ran from the peacekeepers, but they accused him of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.
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Redd said the man believed to be part of the peacekeeping team, dressed in a neon green vest, fired three shots from a handgun at Gamboa, inflicting a relatively minor injury but fatally shooting Ah Loo. Redd did not share the man's name.
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Volunteer peacekeeping teams are common for protests, said Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for 50501 Movement, which was a partner in the 'No Kings' protest. But the organizers ask attendees, including the peacekeepers, not to bring weapons, she said. Still, Parker said they stopped what could've been a larger mass casualty event.
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'Our safety team did as best as they could in a situation that is extremely sad and extremely scary,' said Parker.
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Ah Loo, known as Afa, was a husband and father to two children and a fashion designer who leaned into his Samoan heritage, according to a GoFundMe page organized to support his family. Ah Loo founded Creative Pacific, an event celebrating the diversity of the Pacific Islands, with workshops, artists and a fashion runway. He was on Season 17 of the fashion design reality TV show 'Project Runway.'
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We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Arthur 'Afa' Folasa Ah Loo. A celebrated Samoan fashion designer and creative force in the Pacific community, Afa's talent and vibrant cultural vision inspired many across the region and beyond. A few years ago, the U.S. Embassy in New…
— US Embassy NZ 🇺🇸🇳🇿 (@usembassynz) June 16, 2025
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The gunshots sent hundreds of protesters running, some hiding behind barriers and fleeing into parking garages and nearby businesses, police said in a statement. 'That's a gun. Come on, come on, get out,' someone can be heard saying in a video posted to social media that appears to show the events.
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'No Kings' protests swept across the country on Saturday, and organizers said millions rallied against what they described as President Donald Trump's authoritarian tendencies.
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Confrontations were largely isolated. In Riverside, California, authorities said a driver of an SUV struck a woman who was participating in a demonstration and sped away. The woman had 'significant injuries' but was stable, police said, adding that they were still searching for the driver.
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Outside the Arizona statehouse, a social media video showed protesters Saturday jeering at and then skirmishing with a masked man, who eventually pulled out a handgun, causing the crowd to scatter. Another video showed Arizona Department of Public Safety officers taking the man into custody.