Arturo Gamboa, who was taken into custody after carrying a rifle at a “No Kings” protest in Utah last Saturday that ended in a fatal shooting, has been released as prosecutors continue to review evidence in the investigation.
Newsweek has reached out to the Salt Lake Countydistrict attorney’s office, police department, and Gamboa’s lawyer for comment via email on Saturday.
Why It Matters
Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, was shot during a “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City on June 14. He later died at the hospital, with his death marking the most serious incident among a series of coordinated demonstrations held in hundreds of cities last weekend to denounce President Donald Trump‘s leadership.
The police have said that Ah Loo was an “innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire.” An armed security member, who was part of the event’s “peacekeeping team” fired three rounds after seeing Gamboa with his rifle. “One round struck Gamboa, while another tragically wounded Mr. Ah Loo,” the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a June 15 update.
What To Know
On June 14, police estimate around 10,000 people participated in Salt Lake City’s “No Kings” protest. Just before 8 p.m. local time, police reported hearing gunfire, and “panic spread throughout the area,” police chief Brian Redd said in a June 15 press release.
“Officers found a man who had been shot and immediately began life-saving efforts,” the release said, but despite those efforts Ah Loo died at the hospital. He was a father of two, and a celebrity fashion designer.
Paramedics transported Gamboa to the hospital and then “detectives later booked Gamboa into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a charge of murder.” From interviews with two of the event’s “peacekeeping” team members, detectives were told that Gamboa exhibited suspicious behavior which led them to draw their firearms.
The “peacekeepers” reportedly told Gamboa to drop the weapon, but instead he “lifted the rifle and began running toward the crowd gathered on State Street, holding the weapon in a firing position,” according to the police department’s press release.
One of the “peacekeepers” fired three rounds, with one striking Gamboa, and another hitting Ah Loo. Gamboa did not fire his gun.
The district attorney’s office said Friday that it was unable to make a decision on charges against Gamboa. Utah is a constitutional carry state, which allows adults who are legally allowed to obtain firearms can carry them in public.
On Friday, “detectives with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Homicide Squad presented their initial findings from the ongoing investigation,” to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for legal review, a Friday press release from the police department, which was sent to Newsweek, stated.
“This process, known as a case screening, is a key step in any criminal investigation. It serves to analyze legal issues, identify investigative needs, and ensures the matter is prepared for prosecution evaluation, all while detectives continue to investigate,” it continued.
In Gamboa’s release order, Judge James Blanch said he must live with his father and is barred from possessing firearms, limitations to last two months or if criminal charges are pressed against him.
Nationwide, other cities experienced violence during last week’s protests.
In Portland, Oregon, officers deployed tear gas and flash grenades after demonstrators breached an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, injuring four police officers. In Culpeper, Virginia, a 21-year-old man was arrested after allegedly driving his SUV into a dispersing crowd, striking at least one person.
Scott G. Winterton/The Deseret News via AP)
What People Are Saying
Albert Gamboa, Arturo’s father, told the Associated Press earlier this week his son is an “an innocent guy” who was “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on June 14: “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.”
Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said in a June 15 press release: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident.”
What Happens Next
Police are asking the public to share any relevant information, stating: “If you captured any footage, particularly from the moments immediately before, during, or after the shooting, or if you have video of the shooting itself, or the person arrested, please share that evidence with us.”