Salt Lake City’s streets were packed with protestors on June 14 during their “No Kings” protest.
As the crowd swelled to over 10,000, the peaceful demonstration turned deadly.
One man is now charged with murder and an innocent bystander is dead.
JUST IN: One person is in critical condition after a shooting at the Salt Lake City, Utah ‘No Kings’ protest.
Police were seen detaining a person of interest.
According to police, the man who was taken into custody had blood on his own hands.
“The shooting at tonight’s protest… pic.twitter.com/RUYUA6zdYq
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 15, 2025
The man killed was Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a fashion designer and former Project Runway contestant.
He wasn’t part of a clash or carrying a weapon. He was there, like many others, to participate peacefully.
Gunfire cracked through the air, and one of those bullets found him. He died at the hospital.
Police say the violence began when a 24-year-old man named Arturo Roberto Gamboa appeared in the crowd with an AR-15 rifle.
He was dressed in black and carrying a gas mask and backpack. Eyewitnesses say he charged toward the crowd.
A volunteer peacekeeper wearing a neon vest saw the threat and opened fire with a handgun.
The shots sent panic through the crowd. Protesters scattered, some ducking behind barriers, others fleeing into nearby businesses. A video posted to social media captured people yelling, “That’s a gun. Come on, come on, get out!”
Three shots were fired. Gamboa was wounded. Arthur Ah Loo was fatally hit in the crossfire.
Gamboa has since been charged with murder. Police and prosecutors argue that by bringing a weapon into a peaceful crowd, he created a lethal situation – one that ultimately cost a man his life.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd confirmed the sequence of events during a Sunday news conference.
He emphasized that although Gamboa did not fire his rifle, he created the conditions that led to Ah Loo’s death. Police recovered his AR-15, gas mask, and backpack at the scene.
The Utah chapter of the 50501 Movement, which helped organize the Salt Lake City protest, condemned Gamboa’s actions and thanked their safety team for a swift response.
It remains unclear who exactly organized the peacekeeping force, whether they were trained, or what their protocols were.
While the investigation continues, the facts so far suggest that the peacekeeper’s quick decision may have prevented even greater loss.
He acted under immense pressure, not as a law enforcement officer, but as an armed citizen responding to an imminent threat.
This incident highlights the delicate balance between public safety and civil liberty. It shows how quickly a lawful gathering can turn dangerous when even one person brings violence into the equation.
We’re living in a time when public trust is breaking down. When political passion can turn toxic. When fear, anger, and uncertainty drive dangerous decisions.
There’s a balance we’ve lost between the right to protest and the need for public order.
Across the country, similar protests are unfolding.
In California, demonstrators were hit by a driver. In Arizona, a gun threat disrupted a gathering.
Tensions are high. Emotions are raw.
People on both sides of the political aisle are feeling squeezed – by inflation, by federal overreach, by the sense that the system isn’t listening.
We must hold fast to American values: free speech, peaceful protest, and law and order.
That means protecting the right to assemble, but condemning those who bring violence into peaceful discourse.
A nation divided can’t afford to let fear and violence take the place of debate and dialogue.
If we want to preserve liberty, we have to protect peace.
Arthur Ah Loo mattered. To his family, his friends, and the community he touched. Our hearts go out to those who held him close.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
