‘Peacekeeper' involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings' protest is a military veteran, organizers say
As questions continue to circle around the 'peacekeepers' acting as armed security at the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, when police say a man inadvertently shot and killed a bystander, protest organizers issued a statement Tuesday saying the 'safety volunteer' who was involved is a 'military veteran.'
'During the protest an individual was spotted holding an AR-15 style weapon,' organizers with Utah 50501 said in the prepared statement provided to Utah News Dispatch on Tuesday. 'Our team of safety volunteers, who have been selected because of their military, first responder, and other relevant de-escalation experience, believed that there was an imminent threat to the protesters and took action.'
Utah 50501 is a state chapter of the 50501 Movement, a grassroots group that organizes rallies to protest actions by President Donald Trump and his administration.
According to Salt Lake City police, the shooting happened after two men described as 'peacekeepers' confronted another man, 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who was carrying an AR-15 style rifle. One of the men, reportedly part of the event's security team, fired three shots from a handgun, grazing Gamboa but also hitting an 'innocent bystander,' Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, who was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Beloved Utah fashion designer's friends remember his life and his last moments
Shortly after the shooting, police arrested Gamboa, and he was booked into jail for investigation of murder. Police say, however, that Gamboa did not fire his rifle. The two 'peacekeepers,' who wore high-visability vests, were initially detained by police, but were released after being questioned. Police said the man who fired the three shots is cooperating with investigators.
'The safety volunteer who responded to the individual (holding the rifle) and who was questioned by police is a military veteran,' the Utah 50501 statement said. 'The person currently in custody was apprehended thanks to a protester who saw the rifle and brought it to police attention.'
In the statement, Utah 50501 organizers also expressed 'profound heartbreak' for the death of Ah Loo.
'We are mourning Afa Ah Loo with everything we have, and we are holding his family and friends in our hearts,' the statement said. 'Afa's name, courage, and commitment to his people will never be forgotten. We express our dearest and deepest sympathy to all those who knew and loved him.'
The protests' organizers also noted the investigation into the shooting is 'still currently ongoing. At this time SLCPD has not chosen to charge any of the volunteers.'
Salt Lake City police are investigating the shooting, but the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office will ultimately decide charges. As of Tuesday, no charges had been filed against Gamboa or anyone else involved in the shooting.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has declined to say whether prosecutors are considering filing any charges against the 'peacekeepers' who were involved in the shooting.
Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest
'This continues to be an active investigation by the SLCPD that is yet to be screened by our office, which is not uncommon or of concern as we remain so early into the criminal inquiry,' Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a prepared statement issued Tuesday.
'When the gathered evidence is presented to our office and homicide team, we will have a better understanding of facts, evidence and any chargeable decision,' Gill continued. 'Until then any conjecture would be purely speculative, inaccurate and inappropriate.'
Gill urged Utahns to 'be patient and let law enforcement finish their work.' He also asked anyone 'who may have evidence or may be witnesses to contact and share that information with the SLCPD.' He referred to a link to the Salt Lake City Police Department's website, where evidence can be submitted online.
In the days following the chaotic shooting, unanswered questions remain, including more details of who the 'peacekeepers' were and how they were vetted to be acting as armed security. Questions also remain regarding Gamboa's intentions and why he brought a rifle to the protest.
As Utahns grieve Ah Loo's death, some have applauded actions by the 'peacekeepers' to prevent what could have been a mass shooting, while others have questioned whether the armed man who shot at Gamboa and inadvertently fatally struck Ah Loo acted appropriately.
The Utah 50501 statement provided Tuesday offered a bit more information about who the protest's organizers said served as 'safety volunteers,' including that the people selected had 'military, first responder, and other relevant de-escalation experience,' and that the man involved was a 'military veteran.'
However, other questions remain unanswered, including the ages of the two 'peacekeepers' that were involved in the shooting, how they were vetted, and how many of them present at the protest were armed.
The Utah News Dispatch on Monday sent emails to both national and local organizers asking those questions and others. On Tuesday, Utah organizers pointed to the prepared statement and declined to provide interviews at this time.
'The organizers genuinely want to engage with the public but we have to balance the public's need for transparency with the participant's legal and psychological health,' the organizers said in an email.
Utah 50501 organizers have drawn some criticism over the shooting, including from other local activist groups. The group Armed Queers SLC, which describes itself as an 'LGBTQ organization dedicated to the defense, and success, of oppressed people's movements,' posted a statement on its Instagram story saying 'we are still shocked at how the events unraveled' at the protest.
'Armed Queers takes gun ownership and its use for defense of our communities very seriously, and reject the way this situation was handled,' the group said. 'This event resulted in a direct loss of life that could have been avoided, and other measures should have been in place for proper de-escalation before openly shooting into a vulnerable crowd.'
Armed Queers, the statement said, 'had no involvement in the planning' of Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest, adding that though some members attended, 'Armed Queers was given very little information about this event or our role in it.'
'We were asked to work as extra members of 50501's de-escalation team 2 days before the event,' their statement added. 'We agreed to participate because the organizers were concerned about agitators, but we were given very few details and transparency about the de-escalation plan.'
The group said its members 'worked as a 'secondary de-escalation' team, and had no real interaction with agitators, or coordination with the event organizers while fulfilling that role.' It noted that no Armed Queers members were wearing high-visability vests, and no Armed Queers were 'part of any escalation of events.'
'One of Armed Queers' founding principles is 'The abolition of prisons and police as they serve as nothing but tools of capitalist oppression.' We completely reject any collaboration with the police or efforts by the state to celebrate certain protest movements, while repressing others,' the Armed Queers statement added. 'We were only made aware of any information being shared with the police when public videos had surfaced of 50501's team.'
The group added that they grieve 'the killing of Afa Ah Loo. His life was unjustly cut short, and our hearts are with his family and his community.'
Organizers with the national 50501 Movement have said they discourage people from bringing firearms to protests.
'In the face of this heartbreaking situation, we would like to affirm our commitment to nonviolence and to our non-negotiable prohibition of firearms policy for anyone representing 50501 at any of our actions or events,' organizers with the national 50501 Movement said in a Facebook post Monday. 'It is clear we do not have a complete understanding of what happened yet. What is certain is that, if no guns were present at the protest, this tragedy would have been prevented altogether.'
Utah, however, is a 'constitutional carry' state, which means its laws allow the open and concealed carrying of firearms without a permit for those who are legally allowed to possess them. In 2021, with HB60, the Republican-controlled Utah Legislature eliminated the state's concealed carry permit requirements. Now, anyone 21 and over who can legally possess a gun is free to carry it loaded and hidden in public.
Unlike 26 other states, Utah has not adopted a law prohibiting carrying long guns at state capitols or political protests, according to Everytown Research & Policy, an organization that produces research on gun violence and advocates for gun violence prevention. The group has ranked Utah as No. 36 in the country for 'gun law strength.'
Salt Lake City Police spokesperson Brent Weisberg said in a lengthy statement issued Monday that police are continuing to investigate the 'peacekeepers' involvement, as well as other aspects of the protest's organization and staffing. He said neither of the two men identified as 'peacekeepers' involved in the shooting were 'current or former members of law enforcement, including the Salt Lake City Police Department.'
Police investigating 'peacekeepers' role in fatal shooting at 'No Kings' protest in Utah
'While Utah law governs when and how a person may carry and use a firearm, the lawfulness of any individual's possession or use depends on the specific facts and circumstances of each case,' Weisberg said.
Weisberg said it 'remains unclear whether these individuals were hired by or volunteered for the event organizers, or acted on their own initiative.'
He also noted that the term 'peacekeeper' does not 'represent any formal designation recognized by the Salt Lake City Police Department or the City,' and that there was 'no record in the event's permit indicating the presence of organized or armed security.'
He said the 'peacekeeping' term was how the volunteer questioned by police 'self-identified.'
'While the Salt Lake City Police Department was aware that Saturday's demonstration would include people in support roles, such as those helping to marshal or guide the crowd, these functions are entirely internal to the event,' Weisberg said. 'They are not overseen, sanctioned, or trained by the Salt Lake City Police Department. From the department's standpoint, these persons are considered members of the public, subject to the same rights and responsibilities as any other person in Utah.'
SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Doggett pressures Casar to avoid a messy Democratic primary fight in Texas
Texas Republicans' new legislative maps draw Doggett and Casar, both from formerly safe blue districts, into one Austin-based seat. Rep. Lloyd Doggett speaks outside the State Capitol as demonstrators protest the Trump administration during the "No Kings" national rally in Austin, Texas, on June 14, 2025. | Sergio Flores/AFP via Getty Images By Gregory Svirnovskiy 08/11/2025 02:03 PM EDT Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett isn't backing down from what could be a thorny primary fight with Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar if Texas finalizes its redistricting effort to merge their seats. Texas Republicans' new legislative maps draw Doggett and Casar, both from formerly safe blue districts, into one Austin-based seat. But Doggett, who last year became the first Democratic lawmaker to press President Joe Biden to end his 2024 reelection bid, in a Sunday campaign email framed his decades of experience in the House as an asset. 'In a House again controlled by Democrats, seniority is power,' Doggett, a 16-term lawmaker, said in the email. 'And in fighting Republican shenanigans, experience is an asset. Nor was I personally slowed in working in all-night efforts to amend and fight Trump's Big Ugly Bill, which harms so many in so many ways.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Utah needs you': National election commission urges Utahns to volunteer as poll workers
Election workers process ballots at the Davis County Administrative Building in Farmington on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) The U.S. Election Assistance Commission — an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections — is launching a national effort to recruit poll workers, including in Utah. 'Utah needs you,' Commissioner Donald Palmer said in an interview with Utah News Dispatch on Friday. Tuesday — which is also Utah's municipal primary — is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, when the U.S. Election Assistance Commission kicks off a nationwide effort to encourage more people to volunteer at their local county clerks office and sign up to be election workers ahead of the November general election. 'Where there's a primary, there's always going to be a general (election),' Palmer quipped, saying the aim of scheduling National Poll Worker Recruitment Day on the same day of municipal primaries is to recruit more poll workers ahead of the 2025 November election, when voters typically turn out in higher numbers. 'Go see for yourself': These poll workers want to demystify the voting process for you By raising awareness on a day when Utahns are thinking about their local elections, Palmer said he hopes more Utahns will consider being a part of the process this fall. Across the nation, clerks are seeing a 'dramatic decrease in the number of poll workers available,' Palmer said, noting that for the 2024 presidential election, 772,000 Americans served as poll workers, according to the 2024 Election Administration and Voting Survey Report. That's down from what's typically been 1 million. While it's been getting incrementally easier to recruit election volunteers since 2020, recruitment efforts have trended easier since 2020, still about 48% of clerks' elections jurisdictions across the nation reported it's either 'very difficult' or 'somewhat difficult' to find poll workers, according to that survey. Of that 48%, 14.3% said it's 'very difficult' while 33.6% said it's 'somewhat difficult.' While Utah is not facing a dire poll worker shortage, Palmer said he's still encouraging Utahns to volunteer, noting that what he hears most from Utah clerks is a need to help process by-mail ballots since the vast majority of Utah voters use the state's vote-by-mail system. He also said some counties are in more need than others — noting that rural areas with smaller populations often face more challenges recruiting poll workers. In Utah during the 2024 November election, 104,350 people cast ballots in person on Election Day and 36,381 people voted early in person, while about 1.3 million by-mail ballots were cast and counted, according to the national survey. By comparison, Utah only reported 1,110 total poll workers for that election. That survey also showed that in 2025, about 40% of Utah's poll workers were new recruits. Palmer said that shows there's been 'a lot of turnover' and 'a need for poll workers' in Utah — demonstrating that people are not volunteering anymore, likely because they're getting older or are no longer able to. 'We have an aging population of poll workers,' Palmer said. He noted that the survey found the vast majority of poll workers in 2024 were over the age of 40, with nearly 60% ages 61 and older. That includes 31.1% that were between the ages of 61 and 70, and 28.1% that were 71 and older. Republicans are losing trust in elections, even in Utah. What should be done? 'It really does (show) we need to start recruiting younger and middle-aged Americans to really fill the gap. Because at some point, they're going to retire,' he said. Palmer urged younger Utahns — who may not even be aware of the opportunity to serve their communities in this way — to consider being an election worker. 'I really encourage people to try (volunteering) at least one or two elections, because it will give you great insight, and the people that continue on year after year, some of these folks, they absolutely love it. They're going to do it for the rest of their lives,' he said. 'So we really do want young people and other Americans to see the voting process.' He also said more people being involved in local election processes can help combat rising distrust in election security. 'It's right on the ground. You can see how the voting process works,' he said. 'You really do, as a poll worker, get to see the checks and balances within a polling place. You get to see the efforts that go into chain of custody and how we make sure the ballots equate to the number of people that have voted. And the care that's taken with those ballots. … It really is the best place to understand how the voting process works.' 'There really does need to be replacement poll workers as we move to the future,' he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Solve the daily Crossword
NBC Sports
20 hours ago
- NBC Sports
After shooting at 345 Park Avenue, NFL recommends new security measures to teams
On July 28, a gunman who was apparently targeting the NFL killed four and seriously injured another before taking his own life. It could have been much worse. Now, the NFL has taken steps to protect against further violence, specifically with the league's 32 teams. Via Sports Business Journal, recently obtained a memo from the league to all teams. The memo recommends three changes to security protocols. First, the NFL suggests updated threat assessments at every team and league facility, in order to ensure that any risks are properly 'identified and mitigated.' Second, the NFL suggests the use of armed officers at all team and league facilities, whenever players or staff are present. Third, the NFL suggests the teams employ 'weapons screening' for anyone who enters a team or league facility, including walk-through magnetometers and X-ray scanners for bags. The memo acknowledges that 'these changes will affect day-to-day operations and require an investment of time, coordination, and resources,' but it accurately explains that 'there is no higher priority than the safety and security of our players, coaches, staff, and everyone who works in and around our facilities.' Arguably, some of these measures are overdue, given the NFL's profile and the inevitability of disgruntled former employees. As Chris Simms explained on the January 30 episode of PFT Live from Canton, he flew to Ohio with an employee of the league office who explained that they have been concerned about something like this happening for a while. In this specific case, the gunman drove from Las Vegas to Manhattan. He far more easily could have gone straight to the Raiders' headquarters. All teams need to be ready for another incident like this. There's another important, but unfortunate, point to make. None of the measures suggested by the league would have kept a man with an AR-15-style rifle from wreaking havoc at any team or league facility. The building where the attack happened had armed officers. But they were outgunned. That's the problem. Civilians have access to stronger and better guns than police officers carry. We know it's a political issue, even if it shouldn't be. The right to bear arms shouldn't include the right to bear overwhelming weaponry. The NFL is in a perfect position to stand up and make this case, loudly and clearlyL 'We had armed officers. It didn't matter. The armed officers had guns that didn't make the gun the killer had. Something must change.' It's a fair comment for the league to make. Because it's beyond obvious that something must change.
