Latest news with #safetyvolunteer
CTV News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Man arrested after Utah ‘No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A makeshift memorial for Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, known to friends and family as Afa, is seen Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in downtown Salt Lake City, on the block where Ah Loo was fatally shot during a "No Kings" protest on Saturday, June 14. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum) A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues. Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder following the June 14 shooting. Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was allegedly moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father Albert Gamboa, told The Associated Press earlier this week that his son was 'an innocent guy' who was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault. Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote. Gamboa's attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment. Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa 'knowingly engaged in conduct ... that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying 'to piece together exactly what happened.' The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order. Experts say it's extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security. Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker's organization on Thursday said it was disassociating from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest. The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide against President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday. Matthew Brown, The Associated Press
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Man arrested after Utah 'No Kings' rally shooting is released as investigation continues
A man accused of brandishing a rifle at a 'No Kings' rally in Utah — prompting an armed safety volunteer to open fire and accidentally kill a protester — has been released from jail while the investigation continues. Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill's office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Arturo Gamboa, who had been jailed on suspicion of murder following the June 14 shooting. Salt Lake City police had said Gamboa brought an assault-style rifle to the rally and was allegedly moving toward the crowd with the weapon raised when a safety volunteer for the event fired three shots, wounding Gamboa and killing a nearby demonstrator, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his rifle and it is unclear what he intended to do with it. His father Albert Gamboa, told The Associated Press earlier this week that his son was 'an innocent guy' who was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time.' Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. The volunteer has not been publicly identified as investigators have worked to determine who was at fault. Judge James Blanch said in the release order that Gamboa must live with his father and is forbidden from possessing firearms. The conditions terminate after two months or if criminal charges against him are pursued, Blanch wrote. Gamboa's attorney, Greg Skordas, did not immediately respond to a telephone message left for him seeking comment. Police said the day after the shooting that witnesses reported seeing Gamboa lift the rifle when he was ordered to drop it and that instead he began running toward the crowd. He fled but was arrested nearby, accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death. Salt Lake City police said in a statement the next day that Gamboa 'knowingly engaged in conduct ... that ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' But three days after Gamboa was booked into jail, with no formal charges filed, police acknowledged that the circumstances surrounding the shooting remained uncertain. They issued a public appeal for any video footage related to the shooting or Gamboa, and said detectives were still trying 'to piece together exactly what happened.' The volunteer who confronted Gamboa was described by event organizers as a military veteran whose role as a safety volunteer was to maintain order. Experts say it's extremely rare for such individuals, often called safety marshals, to be armed. They typically rely on calm demeanor, communication and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security. Protest organizers have not said whether or how the safety volunteer who shot Ah Loo was trained or explained why he was armed. All attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons, according to Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for the 50501 Movement. Parker's organization on Thursday said it was disassociating from a local chapter of the group that helped organize the Utah protest. The demonstration involving some 18,000 people was otherwise peaceful. It was one of hundreds nationwide against President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
What to know about the fatal shooting at a Utah 'No Kings' rally
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah investigators sought help from the public as they worked to unravel who was at fault when a safety volunteer at a weekend 'No Kings' rally fired at an alleged gunman and inadvertently hit and killed a protester. The safety volunteer, who has not been identified publicly, fired three rounds at Arturo Gamboa, 24, who had allegedly brandished a rifle at Saturday's crowd in downtown Salt Lake City. The gunshots hit both Gamboa and protester Arthur Folasa Ah Loo , according to the Salt Lake City police.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man who fired at gunman and killed Utah 'No Kings' protester was a safety volunteer, organizers say
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A military veteran who inadvertently fatally shot a demonstrator at a Salt Lake City 'No Kings' rally while trying to stop an alleged gunman was a 'safety volunteer' for the protest, according to police and organizers. The safety volunteer, who has not been identified publicly, fired three rounds at Arturo Gamboa, 24, who allegedly brandished a rifle at Saturday's crowd. The gunshots hit both Gamboa and the protester, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, police said. Gamboa did not fire the rifle, and no formal criminal charges have been filed against him. However he was arrested on suspicion of murder and accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo's death, police said. He remained in custody as of Tuesday, according to jail logs. It is unclear what Gamboa intended to do with the rifle. His father, reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday, declared his son's innocence. 'My son, Arturo Gamboa, is an innocent guy. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time,' Albert Gamboa said in a brief phone call. The investigation includes whether the safety volunteer was justified in shooting, the Salt Lake City Police Department said Monday. Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street. 'Inevitably there are going to be instances like this one, which may or may not have been a misunderstanding,' said Timothy Zick, a William & Mary Law School professor who has written about the laws surrounding public protests. "It's hard to sort out who's acting lawfully with a firearm in the middle of an already crowded, sometimes chaotic protest space,' he said. Police said the permit for the protest did not specify that there would be armed security and event staffers' roles and responsibilities were being investigated. The protest of some 10,000 people was otherwise peaceful. Here's what is known so far about the shooting: How did it unfold? Thousands of protesters were marching through downtown Salt Lake City when, around 8 p.m., the veteran and another man said they spotted Gamboa, who was wearing all black clothing, move behind a wall and withdraw a rifle from a backpack, according to a police news release. The two men drew their handguns and ordered Gamboa to drop the rifle, but witnesses said he instead moved toward the crowd and held his rifle in a 'firing position,' according to police. The safety volunteer shot three rounds, hitting Gamboa and Ah Loo. Gamboa's wound was relatively minor, and he was arrested nearby by police, who found a rifle, gas mask and backpack in the area. Ah Loo died after being taken to a hospital. Police said they do not yet know why Gamboa had the rifle or allegedly disobeyed the orders from the two men. The protest was one of hundreds nationwide Saturday against President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, which marked the Army's 250th anniversary and coincided with Trump's birthday. What are safety marshals for demonstrations? The Utah chapter of 50501 Movement, which helped organize the 'No Kings' protest, said in a statement Monday that the man who confronted Gamboa was a 'safety volunteer' meant to help maintain order and a military veteran. 'Our team of safety volunteers, who have been selected because of their military, first responder, and other relevant de-escalation experience, believed there was an imminent threat to the protestors and took action,' organizers said. The group did not give further details on the person's training or explain why he was armed. Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for 50501 Movement, which helped organize the 'No Kings' protests across the country, said all attendees, including those in safety roles, were asked not to bring weapons. It's extremely rare for safety teams, often called safety marshals, to be armed. Instead, they rely on calm demeanor, communication skills and relationships with police and protesters to help keep order, said Edward Maguire, an Arizona State University criminology and criminal justice professor. 'Arming marshals or peacekeepers is widely discouraged, as it tends to create more problems than it solves," Maguire said. Who was the protester who was killed? Ah Loo was a successful fashion designer and former 'Project Runway' contestant who devoted his life to celebrating artists from the Pacific Islands. Benjamin Powell, a friend of Ah Loo's, said the 39-year-old was born in Samoa but lived in Utah for about a decade. Ah Loo, a self-taught designer known to many as Afa, devoted his life to doing 'good things for his neighbors and community,' state Rep. Verona Mauga, a close friend, told The Associated Press. Their families were both from the small village of Lotopa in Samoa, she said. Ah Loo leaves behind a wife and two young children, according to a GoFundMe page for his family. Powell said he and Ah Loo were working on an August fashion show, which Powell said will now honor Ah Loo's unwavering commitment to his community. ___ Bedayn reported from Denver. Associated Press writer Mead Gruver in Cheyenne, Wyoming, contributed.
