A man believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City shot at a person brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, injuring the rifleman and killing a bystander in the crowd, authorities said on Sunday.
Arturo Gamboa, 24, the suspected rifleman, was arrested Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd announced at a Sunday news conference. The protester, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, died in the hospital.
Meanwhile, at the “No Kings” rally in Riverside on Saturday, authorities reported that a woman was seriously injured when an SUV rammed into the crowd of protesters.
Detectives aren’t sure why Gamboa pulled out a rifle or fled from the peacekeepers, but they accuse him of inciting the dangerous situation that resulted in Ah Loo’s death. The Associated Press could not immediately find an attorney for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.
According to Redd, a man dressed in a brightly colored vest fired three shots from a handgun at Gamboa, injuring him only slightly but killing Ah Loo.
According to police, the gunshots frightened hundreds of protesters, who fled into parking garages and nearby businesses, some hiding behind barriers.
“That is a gun. “Come on, come on, get out,” someone can be heard saying in a video posted on social media that appears to depict the events.
“No Kings” protests swept across the country Saturday, with millions rallying in cities across the country to oppose what demonstrators see as President Trump’s monarchical, authoritarian excesses.
Confrontations were primarily isolated. They included an SUV driver who, according to authorities, struck a woman participating in a “No Kings” demonstration in Riverside before speeding away. The woman suffered “significant injuries” but was stable, police said, adding that they were still looking for the driver.
Outside the Arizona statehouse, a social media video showed protesters jeering and then fighting with a masked man, who eventually pulled out a handgun, scattering the crowd. Another video showed officers from the Arizona Department of Public Safety taking the man into custody.
The Utah chapter of the 50501 Movement, which helped organize the protests, issued a statement on Instagram condemning the rifleman in Salt Lake City and thanking first responders and “our safety team” for their prompt response.
The Utah chapter did not immediately respond to AP’s inquiries about the peacekeeping team. It was unclear who hired the peacekeepers, whether they were volunteers, or what training they received prior to the event. Redd stated that the peacekeepers’ actions are also under investigation.
The shooter and another person in a vest allegedly saw Gamboa separate from the crowd of marchers in downtown Salt Lake City, move behind a wall, and brandish a rifle around 8 p.m., according to Redd.
When the two men in vests approached Gamboa with handguns drawn, witnesses said Gamboa raised his rifle to fire and ran toward the crowd, according to Redd.
That’s when one of the men in the bright vests fired three rounds, striking Gamboa and Ah Loo, according to Redd. Gamboa, who police said had no criminal record, was wounded and treated before being booked into jail.
Police said they found an AR-15-style rifle, a gas mask, and a backpack on the scene.
