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Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Battles over public lands loom even after sell-off proposal fails
A sign welcomes visitors to Bureau of Land Management land near Cedar City, Utah. Utah and other states have pushed the federal government to hand over public lands, and a sweeping proposal in Congress could put millions of acres up for sale. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) Hunters, hikers and outdoors lovers of all stripes mounted a campaign this month against a Republican proposal to sell off millions of acres of federal public land. The public outcry was so forceful that the measure's sponsor pledged to scale back the proposal. Then on Saturday, before an initial U.S. Senate vote on Republicans' mega tax and spending bill, he withdrew it altogether. But even though the land sales proposal was defeated, experts say federal lands face a slew of other threats from President Donald Trump's administration. Agency leaders have proposed rolling back the 'Roadless Rule' that protects 58 million acres from logging and other uses. Trump's Justice Department has issued a legal opinion that the president is allowed to abolish national monuments. Regulators have moved to slash environmental rules to ramp up logging and oil and gas production. And Trump's cuts to the federal workforce have gutted the ranks of the agencies that manage federal lands. 'This is not over even if the sell-off proposal doesn't make it,' said John Leshy, who served as solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Clinton administration. 'The whole thing about leasing or selling timber or throwing them open to mining claims, that's a form of partial privatization. It's pretty much a giveaway.' Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has repeatedly described public lands as America's 'balance sheet.' He has argued that some lands could be used to provide housing, while calling for an expansion of mining and oil and gas drilling to increase their economic output. 'President Trump's energy dominance vision will end those wars abroad, will make life more affordable for every family in America by driving down inflation,' Burgum said before his confirmation hearing. Public lands advocates are bracing for ongoing battles for the rest of Trump's term in office. They expect Republicans to add last-minute public lands amendments to other bills moving through Congress, and for land management agencies to attempt to strip protections from other federal lands. Given the vocal backlash to the initial sell-off plan, advocates expect future attempts to be shaped behind closed doors and advanced with little time for opponents to mount a defense. Meanwhile, they expect states to play a key role in shaping those battles. In Western states, where most federally owned lands are located, many leaders from both parties view public lands as special places open to all Americans and critical for clean water, wildlife and tourism. But some conservatives resent the fact that large portions of their states are managed by officials in Washington, D.C., limiting development and private enterprise. Officials in some states, including Idaho, Utah and Wyoming, have pushed lawsuits or resolutions seeking to force the feds to hand over huge amounts of land. Public land experts say the lawmakers behind those efforts will likely press harder now that Trump is in the White House. Such state-level takeover attempts could shape the proposals that emerge from Trump's allies in Washington. The firestorm over federal lands exploded when Utah Sen. Mike Lee, a Republican, introduced legislation that would force the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to sell up to 3.3 million acres of land. The measure also would direct the agencies to make more than 250 million additional acres eligible for sale. 'We've never seen a threat on this magnitude ever,' said Devin O'Dea, Western policy and conservation manager with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. 'There's been an overwhelming amount of opposition. We've seen record-breaking engagement on this issue.' Lee, a longtime federal lands opponent, claimed the lands were needed for housing and argued the government has been a poor manager of its land. 'Washington has proven time and again it can't manage this land,' Lee said earlier this month when announcing the proposal. 'This bill puts it in better hands.' But a wide-ranging coalition of opponents argued that the proposal had no protections to ensure the lands would be used for affordable housing, and that many of the parcels eligible for sale had little housing potential. A furious social media campaign highlighted cherished hiking trails, fishing lakes and ski slopes that were in danger of being sold, urging people to call their lawmakers to oppose the measure. In recent days, Montana Republican U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, as well as Idaho Republican U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, came out in opposition to the land sale proposal. That put into question whether Lee's legislation could earn even a simple majority. Then the Senate parliamentarian ruled the sell-off could not be included in the reconciliation bill without a 60-vote majority. That ruling came a day after Lee posted on social media that he would be making changes to the bill in response to concerns from Hunter Nation, a nonprofit whose board includes Donald Trump Jr. Lee released a scaled-back measure last week that would exempt national forest lands but would direct the Bureau of Land Management to sell up to 1.2 million acres. It would require land for sale to be within five miles of a population center and developed to provide housing. Public land advocates say Lee's changes did little to assuage their concerns. They argue that federal land sales or transfers should happen through the current, long-standing process, which requires local stakeholder input and directs the proceeds from land sales to be reinvested into conservation and public access on other parcels. 'It's the overwhelming belief of hunters and anglers that the budget reconciliation process is not the appropriate vehicle for public land sales,' said O'Dea, with the hunting and fishing group. On Saturday evening, Lee announced that he was withdrawing the proposal, saying that Senate rules did not allow him to include protections that land would not be sold to foreign interests. But he pledged to continue the battle over federal land ownership, working with Trump to 'put underutilized federal land to work for American families.' While the sell-off proposal aligned with some state officials' goal of taking over federal lands, some lands experts say private developers would have been the real winner. 'If the lands are transferred to the states without money, the states lose,' said Leshy, the former Interior Department official. 'It's a hit on their budget, which means they're gonna have to sell them off. If states got a significant amount of public lands, a lot of that would end up in private hands.' In Utah, where leaders have made the most aggressive push to take over federal lands, lawmakers argue that they could raise lease prices for oil and gas operations, bringing in enough revenue to cover the state's management costs. 'The policy of the state is to keep these lands open and available to the public,' Speaker Mike Schultz, a Republican, told Stateline last month. O'Dea pointed to an economic analysis of what it would cost Montana to take over federal lands. The report found it would cost the state $8 billion over 20 years to take on wildfire management, deferred maintenance and mine reclamation. He noted that many Western states have sold off a majority of the 'trust lands' they were granted at statehood, undermining claims that a state takeover would leave lands in the public domain. While Lee's land sales proposal has gotten the biggest headlines, public land advocates are fighting a multifront battle against the Trump administration's moves to roll back the protected status of certain lands, slash environmental rules, and expand logging, mining and drilling operations. 'The approach is to throw as much as you can at the wall and see what sticks,' O'Dea said. 'There's only so much you can mobilize opposition to. There's a huge risk that some of these things could fly under the radar.' Some conservative states and industry groups say Trump is allowing federal lands to be used to their full economic potential. Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, a Republican, said his constituents are 'keenly aware of how the federal government's ownership of 60 percent of Alaska's lands can inhibit economic development and cause challenges for our communities.' Leshy noted that public lands have proven to be a popular cause, but Trump's cuts to the federal workforce could undermine public confidence that the federal government is capable of managing the land. 'if you make it terrible for long enough, maybe people say, 'The feds shouldn't be managing this, they do such a bad job,'' he said. Stateline reporter Alex Brown can be reached at abrown@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Utah News Dispatch brings home 12 awards in Utah Headliners journalism contest
Utah News Dispatch won 12 awards in the Utah Headliners 2025 contest, including four first-place wins. (McKenzie Romero/Utah News Dispatch) Utah News Dispatch claimed 12 awards, including four first-place wins, in this year's Utah Headliners statewide journalism contest, which recognizes top journalism in writing and reporting, TV, radio and online news. The highly competitive local journalism contest drew more than 1,200 entries, said Emma Penrod, president of the Utah Headliners, the state's professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Entries featured work published in 2024, Utah News Dispatch's first year reporting since launching Jan. 9, 2024. The Dispatch's four-person team competed in the large newsroom division, squaring off with the largest and longest-running news outlets in the state. The Utah News Dispatch voter guide won the contest's inaugural 'News you can use' category, with judges saying: 'An interactive, stellar example of service journalism, this piece excels in delivering practical, timely information that empowers readers to engage in the democratic process.' Reporter Kyle Dunphey won this year's continuing coverage award for his dogged reporting on the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, which since 1990 had compensated eligible residents in Western states who were made sick by radiation from U.S. weapons testing and development in the '50s and '60s but lapsed last summer when Congress failed to take action to continue it. The judges said: 'While a smaller media site, the Utah News Dispatch did an exemplary job of explaining why RECA is so important and how the legislation's future could affect so many. It was consequential and well-executed, making politics in DC a meat-and-potatoes issue for so many Utahns. Well done!' Senior Reporter Katie McKellar claimed two first-place wins. Her profile of innovative homeless service provider Switchpoint and its accountability-focused model won the Homelessness and Housing category, and she led the Longform Storytelling entries with her heartfelt report on a Utah man's horseback ride across the country to spotlight the crisis facing wild mustangs. McKellar was also recognized with an honorable mention in the prestigious Best News Reporter category. Here's a complete list of Utah News Dispatch's awards: 1st Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Continuing coverage RECA in Utah Kyle Dunphey 1st Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Homelessness and Housing Inside the old school that's now housing Utah's homeless Katie McKellar 1st Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Longform Storytelling Utah horseman concludes 6,000-mile ride through 25 states to spotlight the wild horse crisis Katie McKellar 1st Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: News You Can Use Utah News Dispatch voter guide Utah News Dispatch staff 2nd Place Online: Best Newsletter Your Daily Dispatch Utah News Dispatch 2nd Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Criminal justice Utah executes Taberon Honie by lethal injection Kyle Dunphey 2nd Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Climate and Environment Installing carbon capture in Utah would be tough. But is that debate missing the point? Alixel Cabrera 3rd Place Online: Best News-oriented Website Utah News Dispatch Utah News Dispatch staff 3rd Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Government With new laws, is Utah holding criminals accountable or adding to mass incarceration? Kyle Dunphey 3rd Place Writing and Reporting – Division A: Growth and Development How much of Utah's housing market is corporate-owned? Katie McKellar Honorable Mention Writing and Reporting – Division A: Best News Reporter Katie McKellar Honorable Mention Writing and Reporting – Division A: Series Can you improve indoor air quality? These Utahns let sensors track their every move Alixel Cabrera, Utah News Dispatch and Saige Miller, KUER
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Before the shots rang out, nonviolence and unity defined ‘No Kings' protest
People take part in the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) For more than two hours, 10,000 protesters coalesced in their anger against President Donald Trump and his policies to march peacefully through scorching Salt Lake City streets Saturday. They had cheered organizers' urging for nonviolence and reveled in moments of unity as they walked, from appreciative honks from waiting cars to church bells ringing out for them as they passed St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral. Just before 8 p.m., gunshots sounded, sending the crowd scrambling. Police confirmed Sunday that an individual who they said was 'possibly part of the event's peacekeeping team' had spotted a man with a rifle approaching the marchers, and fired. That man, identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, sustained a minor gunshot wound and was later arrested and booked into jail for investigation of murder. An innocent bystander walking in the protest, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was also shot. He died of his injuries Saturday night. A long list of questions remains. But up until that moment, the message of the event had been the same as protests happening in cities large and small around the country, part of a nationwide declaration of defiance of Trump coinciding with a large-scale military parade in Washington, D.C. marking the Army's 250th anniversary, a date that was also the president's 79th birthday. The Salt Lake City demonstration was the last and largest of 11 planned protests across the state Saturday, including a demonstration that drew thousands more to the University of Utah that morning. Speaking to reporters on a dark Salt Lake City street about two hours after the shooting, the city's police chief and mayor both praised the protesters for exercising their rights peacefully and without incident. 'We had thousands of people come out today, not only in Salt Lake City, but in protests around the state, protests around this nation, and they were, by and large, peaceful demonstrations,' Mayor Erin Mendenhall said. 'We are a nation that needs our First Amendment right. We deserve to be able to protest in peace. And what happened today, I hope, will not silence the voices of the public who deserve to have their voices heard.' Protesters' chants included 'This is what democracy looks like,' 'Trump is a felon,' and 'No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here.' There were also some unflattering shoutouts to elected Utah officials including Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Celeste Maloy, Gov. Spencer Cox and state Rep. Trevor Lee. Despite Utah's unquestioned status as a red haven, with Republicans consistently holding the governor's office, all of the state's congressional seats and a supermajority in the Legislature, Utahns who disagree with Trump's politics have been making their voices heard in growing numbers since the president began his second term, including earlier in the week. Some protesters, like Ogden sisters Kimberly and Heidi Cruzatt, marched on behalf of those concerned about demonstrating publicly. They wore scrubs, a symbol of their Peruvian parents' work as CNAs. 'I believe it's not safe for them, and they have a family at home to take care of, so I don't want to risk them any harm being here,' said Heidi Cruzatt. Kimberly Cruzatt carried a poster styled after the broadway hit 'Hamilton' logo, including the line 'Immigrants, we get the job done.' 'It's about Alexander Hamilton, but since he's an immigrant, he's decided, 'OK, I think everybody who has come from different countries has collaborated in the community,'' she explained. Not far from the sisters was Rachel Blackmer, of Taylorsville, who teaches English to adult immigrants and trains foster parents to care for refugee teenagers. In the center of the sign she carried above her head, Blackmer drew a heart with words 'Protect the immigrants I love' inside, and dozens of names of her students appearing around it. 'Everyone I care about is being threatened right now. My students tell me about how scared they are, and they carry their ID with them, but that isn't even good enough. They're still scared, and I'm really excited to show them my sign and show them their names on it and why I'm here,' Blackmer said. Looking at the sea of people around her, Blackmer said she hopes the scale of the recent protests will spur change, comparing it to the height of Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. 'I'm really hoping that our country will respond even more than they did back then, this will be even bigger, and more people will respond,' she said. Why protest? 'They work,' she said.
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Peacekeeper' involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings' protest is a military veteran, organizers say
People take cover after gunshots rang out during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) 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
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's ‘No Kings' protest
Lisa Anger, left, and Amber Ponder hug near the scene where a man was shot during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A 39-year-old man died Saturday night after being shot during Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest while a crowd of about 10,000 people marched near 151 S. State Street, the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed Sunday. Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a Utah resident, was shot at the demonstration. Despite life-saving efforts from SWAT medics and Salt Lake City Fire, Ah Loo died at an area hospital. As of Sunday morning there were still unreleased details about the incident as the investigation is ongoing, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said in a news conference. A chaotic scene ensued after two armed men in high visibility vests, who Redd described as 'possibly part of the event's peacekeeping team' saw 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa separating from the crowd, moving behind a wall, pulling out a rifle and starting to manipulate it. 'Gamboa was then confronted by these two men, witnesses say. Gamboa raised the weapon in a firing position and began running toward the crowd,' Redd said on Sunday. 'One of the individuals fired three rounds, striking Gamboa, and tragically striking the man who later died.' The preliminary police investigation found that the victim was not the intended target, 'but rather an innocent bystander participating in the demonstration,' Redd said. Gamboa also sustained a minor gunshot wound in the confrontation. As the scene unfolded, a bystander took a backpack from Gamboa that contained an AR-15 style rifle and a gas mask, Redd said. Gamboa's motivations for being at the protest are still unclear, and there is no indication that others were working with him, Redd said. Detectives booked Gamboa into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail for investigation of murder, police said in a release. Gamboa has no criminal history, police said. Jail documents state he is being held without bail. Police had not taken any action against the two peacekeeping members as of Sunday, Redd said. The man who fired the shots is cooperating with police. 2 people shot, including suspect in custody, during 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City, Utah The scene was chaotic and unfolded very quickly, Redd said, but many people assisted the officers. 'The crowd actually pointed him out to law enforcement, and their actions were heroic,' Redd said. In a Facebook post Sunday morning, Utah 50501 — the group that organized Saturday's protest — said it is currently working with police. 'Our team was directly involved. We have been in direct contact with law enforcement,' the Facebook post read. 'Some of you seem to think a keyboard and social media give you a free pass to be nasty and accusatory. Our teams just had to deal with something extremely traumatizing and when faced with personal risk to their own lives, chose to run towards the danger in order to serve this community.' The group said it's working to set up a vigil for the victim. 'We respectfully ask to refrain from speculation about the alleged shooter's motives and identity — that information will come out soon enough. It is better to wait for the facts, even though it is difficult given the emotional and charged nature of this incident,' the group said in a separate Facebook post Sunday morning. 'This was a horrific moment of violence in a historic day full of thousands of Utahns exercising their right to protest. Nothing will ever change the undeniable strength of our community.' Before the news of Ah Loo's death went public, Salt Lake City Democrats Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost and Sen. Jen Plumb, who represent downtown communities in the Legislature, issued a statement expressing 'distress, dismay and sorrow' about the Saturday shooting in Salt Lake City and the assassination of the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus leader Melissa Hortman. The Democrats said that these are 'stark examples of the current crisis of our nation's integrity.' 'As many have stated, violence has no place here,' the lawmakers wrote in a joint statement. 'We would argue more strongly, however, that every elected official must actively partake in changing the horrific rhetoric and divisiveness that drives public discourse in our society today; rhetoric that is supported and perpetuated by many in our state and nation's top leadership positions.' Simple remarks, the lawmakers said, will not suffice as a response. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, extended condolences to Ah Loo's family in a social media post, describing the incident as 'a heartbreaking situation.' 'My thoughts are with everyone affected,' Adams wrote. 'I also want to express my gratitude to all the security officers whose quick response helped prevent a mass casualty. In difficult moments like this, we must come together with shared compassion and a commitment to unity.' Contributing: Kyle Dunphey SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
