1 man dead after being shot during ‘No Kings’ protest in Salt Lake City

A 39-year-old man, identified as Utah resident Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, died Saturday after being shot during a large “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake City, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said Sunday.

Three people also believed to be part of the incident were taken into custody, one of whom, identified as 24-year-old Utah resident Arturo Roberto Gamboa, was shot as everything unfolded, according to Salt Lake police. He was transported to a hospital in serious condition.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting near 151 S. State shortly before 8 p.m. It took place as an estimated 10,000 people marched downtown to protest recent federal policy decisions.

At least three shots rang out, causing some people in the immediate area to flee, according to videos near the incident obtained by KSL. Several other videos were also uploaded to social media.

On scene, officers found Folasa Ah Loo and attempted life-saving efforts.

Redd said preliminary investigations show that Folasa Ah Loo was not the intended target but an “innocent bystander participating in the demonstration.”

With witnesses-provided information, officers pursued Gamboa to the area of 200 East 100 South, where he was apprehended, taken to the hospital and later booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail for investigation of murder, police said.

Gamboa had a minor gunshot wound and was “hiding in a group of people,” Redd said. Officers also recovered a backpack Redd said was removed from Gamboa by bystanders that contained an “AR-15 style rifle,” black clothing and gas mask.

Two other armed individuals wearing high-visibility vests who were “possibly part of the event’s peacekeeping team” were also detained initially, Redd said.

“Based on early witness statements, these men saw Gamboa separate from the crowd during the march and move behind a wall, where they noticed him pull out a rifle and begin manipulating 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. One of the individuals fired three rounds, striking Gamboa and tragically striking the man who later died,” Redd said, adding that Gamboa never fired a shot.

According to a police booking affidavit, the peacekeepers called out to Gamboa to drop his weapon after drawing their own.

“Arturo Gamboa was acting under circumstances evidencing a depraved indifference to human life and knowingly engages in conduct that creates a grave risk of death to another individual and thereby causes the death of the other individual,” according to the affidavit.

Redd added that the two peacekeepers are not in custody and the one who fired the rounds is cooperating with police.

“We did not take any actions last night on those two individuals,” Redd said.

The investigation is still ongoing.

‘Something like this happening is not OK’

Leah Pittman was marching in the protest with her dad. It was his first time participating in a protest, Pittman said.

Before the shooting, she described the march as “very peaceful” and “very unified.”

“It also felt … almost like, fun at times. There was music that was playing. There was a band that was marching with us,” Pittman said. “I just felt very grateful to be with a group of people that were there for the same reasons that I was. It was just a group of people from different backgrounds. We all felt very unified.”

Of course, that all changed in an instant.

Pittman said she and her dad were about 15 feet away from Folasa Ah Loo when he was shot.

At first, she and her dad thought the three loud bangs were fireworks — then the magnitude and stakes of the situation became apparent.

“Then we just saw people running. So we started running, and I ran past the victim lying on the ground, and I saw him bleeding from his head. That’s kind of when I realized what was happening and how much danger we were all in,” Pittman.

She and her dad hid underneath cars at a nearby apartment complex until the complex was opened to allow people access to shelter.

“The immediate moments after, I just would say there was complete chaos. People running everywhere, a lot of screaming, a lot of crying, a lot of people calling out to each other, trying to find people that they were with,” Pittman said.

For Pittman, Saturday’s active shooter situation wasn’t even her first. That came when she was in middle school.

“I remember the fear being similar,” Pittman said. “No matter your political opinion, something like this happening is not OK. And there’s nothing that could be done to justify it. You know, like, just the kind of violence that happens in America today is unacceptable, and I hate that it’s become so normalized and that it’s something that I’ve experienced several times in my life. That should never be the case.”

Specifically, Pittman said she was sheltering in the apartment complex alongside children — four that were younger than 10 years old.

“One of the girls was just telling me that this was her first ever shooting and that she was very scared. I just hate that that’s something that happens often nowadays. We just need to actively be fighting against that kind of hate and that kind of violence that leads to situations like this,” she said.

Leaders react

Gov. Spencer Cox posted on social media that he had spoken with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall about the incident. Mendenhall said she called to governor to update him on the situation, and he relayed his support for the city’s first responders.

“The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square,” Cox wrote. “This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.”

Mendenhall on Saturday night said the shooting “does not define our city.”

“The purpose of today’s demonstration was a powerful and peaceful expression until this event, and that cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm,” Mendenhall said. “I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace and to look out for one another tonight in the coming days.”

Utah State Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Pleasant Grove, on Sunday posted a message of condolences and support to the Folasa Ah Loo family.