What began as a large and peaceful demonstration in Salt Lake City turned tragic Saturday evening when gunfire erupted, leaving 39-year-old Arthur Folasa Ah Loo dead and several others in custody. The incident occurred during the city’s “No Kings” protest, part of a nationwide wave of demonstrations against federal policy and immigration enforcement.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd confirmed on Sunday that Ah Loo was an innocent bystander caught in the chaos. He was shot around 8 p.m. near 151 S. State Street as an estimated 10,000 demonstrators marched through downtown Salt Lake City.
Appears the Utah “no kings” protest shooting suspect Arturo Gamboa is an anti-Trump BLM leftist activist.
Leftist political violence is out of control.
Will Democrats condemn it?
This must stop. https://t.co/KAqfmRb5rE pic.twitter.com/azhiCdRDlv
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 15, 2025
According to eyewitness reports and police statements, at least three gunshots rang out, sending protesters fleeing in panic. Videos posted on social media captured the confusion as marchers scrambled for cover.
Law enforcement quickly identified 24-year-old Arturo Roberto Gamboa as a person of interest. Gamboa was reportedly spotted separating from the crowd, retrieving a rifle behind a wall, and preparing the weapon. Two members of the event’s so-called “peacekeeping team” confronted him. Witnesses say Gamboa raised the rifle and began advancing toward the crowd. One of the peacekeepers fired three shots—striking Gamboa and, tragically, fatally wounding Ah Loo.
Despite being seriously injured, Gamboa fled and was later located hiding among a group of protestors at 200 East 100 South. He was apprehended, treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound, and then booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on suspicion of murder. A recovered backpack, believed to belong to Gamboa, contained an AR-15-style rifle, black clothing, and a gas mask.
The SLC sh**ter has been identified as Arturo Gamboa. He has been charged with m*rder. He was raised in the LDS church in Utah by a Venezuelan immigrant father.
He was a drummer in a radical anti-government punk band called Rade and his social media indicated that he was… pic.twitter.com/SiEus6952h
— Sarah Fields (@SarahisCensored) June 15, 2025
According to a booking affidavit, Gamboa’s behavior demonstrated “depraved indifference to human life,” setting off a chain of events that directly led to the bystander’s death. Although he never fired a shot, he remains under investigation for initiating the threat.
Eyewitness Leah Pittman recounted being just 15 feet from the fatal shooting. Initially thinking the loud bangs were fireworks, Pittman and her father realized the danger as people around them screamed and fled. She described scenes of chaos, hiding under cars with young children, including a girl under 10 who told her, “this was her first ever shooting.”
“It should never be the case that someone has experienced multiple shootings by middle school,” Pittman said.
Local and state officials quickly responded. Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued strong statements condemning the violence while praising first responders. “This is an active situation,” Cox noted. “We’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.”
Mendenhall emphasized that the act of violence should not define the protest or the city itself. “The purpose of today’s demonstration was a powerful and peaceful expression until this event,” she said. “That cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm.”
Utah State Rep. Tyler Clancy offered condolences to the family of Ah Loo and voiced support for ensuring justice and maintaining public safety.
Police are continuing their investigation and interviewing witnesses. As of now, the peacekeeper who fired the shot is cooperating with authorities and remains out of custody. No additional suspects are believed to be involved, but authorities are leaving no detail unchecked.
