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Protester shot and killed at 'No Kings' rally in Utah, police say (apnews.com)

submitted 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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A man who was believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City shot at a person who was brandishing a rifle at demonstrators, striking both the rifleman and a bystander who later died at the hospital, authorities said Sunday.

Police took the alleged rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, 24, into custody Saturday evening on a murder charge, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said at a Sunday news conference. The bystander was Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, a fashion designer from Samoa.

Detectives don’t yet know why Gamboa pulled out a rifle or ran from the peacekeepers, but they accused him of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.

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[-] [email protected] 107 points 18 hours ago

allegedly saw Gamboa separate from the crowd of marchers in downtown Salt Lake City, move behind a wall and withdraw a rifle around 8 p.m., Redd said.

When the two men in vests confronted Gamboa with their handguns drawn, witnesses said Gamboa raised his rifle into a firing position and ran toward the crowd, said Redd.

That’s when one of the men dressed in the vests shot three rounds, hitting Gamboa and Ah Loo, said Redd. Gamboa, who police said didn’t have a criminal history, was wounded and treated before being booked into jail.

Emphasis mine. If that's true, that could have become a mass shooting.
Still sucks to be the innocent bystander though.

[-] [email protected] 43 points 17 hours ago

Yes, this is a tragic and complex way to have averted a mass shooting but that appears to be what happened. After being shot non-critically it appears the shooter lost their nerve, threw their rifle in a bag and tried to run/rejoin the crowd.

I've been bracing myself for the disgusting politics to hit. Like I can feel right wing pundits hand wringing to show the armed protesters 'have no idea how to handle guns.'

Adding fuel to the fire, we had a shooting last night at a multicultural festival where three were killed, one being 8 months old.

[-] [email protected] 9 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

That's what I thought at first, but the video doesn't support Gamboa raising his rifle. Video is short, and I'm not saying I know the whole story. But another likely possibility in my mind, based on the video, is that Gamboa was attempting to legally open carry. In hindsight might not be the best thing to do at a protest, but it's his legal right. For now I think it's best not to jump to conclusions.

Edit: video link https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB

[-] [email protected] 10 points 13 hours ago

What video?
The traffic cam video? The detail on that is horrific. I would not attempt to create any theories from that.

If there’s other video to support your statements, can you link it?

I’d say that his actions were not legal or sanctioned. He had the rifle concealed in a carrying case, which he waited until he was middle of a crowd, whereupon he removed it, and regardless of whether or not his handling of the weapon met the legal definition of brandishing it, he still handled it in a manner that incited panic.
If he wanted to open carry, he should have had the firearm openly carried the entire time he was at the protest (including his outside approach to it) and he should have never put his hands on the weapon.

[-] [email protected] 8 points 12 hours ago

https://imgur.com/a/z3J25EB

[-] [email protected] 8 points 11 hours ago

Ah, I see. That is much clearer.

The testimony given is that Gamboa had pulled out his weapon while hidden behind a barrier, and was in a firing position while running into the crowd is supported the video. At the very beginning of the video, it shows him walking, then running, while holding the weapon in his right hand.
I guess if he ducked away to surreptitiously pull the weapon out, he should have… I don’t know, slung it, rather than held it, and responded to the folks who drew on him, rather than try to run into the crowd.
I wouldn’t have stepped out of cover with my hands on it if that were the case. But also, if I were open carrying, I wouldn’t be wearing a ski mask.
Nothing about his actions read proper to me.

[-] [email protected] 3 points 10 hours ago

I agree that Gamboa's actions were at the very least inadvisable.

Pointing out: he starts running after the peacekeeper fires upon him, not before.

I don't think we know what happened before that video started. Peacekeepers said they shouted at him to drop the weapon. Was he aware of their presence before they shot? What exactly was said?

The eyewitness accounts I've seen so far in the news seem perhaps one-sided and I've been speculating that the police could have put some trust into the statements of the peacekeepers that they interviewed.

Regarding his ski mask, SLC is a ski town. Many people own balaclavas, and I saw many people at the protest wearing them. I saw pictures of people at the Thursday protest wearing them as well. The organizers pointed out to be careful about taking pictures as some people might not want their identities revealed. Personally, I wore a mask.

A guy in a mask with a gun looks scary, and I don't think what happened is surprising. However, many of the right wing militias open carry while wearing masks. They do so because it is legal and is in fact their right. What I'm ultimately saying is, given the evidence available, if I were on some (fantasy) jury, I would so far be thinking "reasonable doubt".

[-] [email protected] 5 points 10 hours ago

Unfortunately this is exactly the kind of situation these nuts want to happen. "He was just exercising his rights." He was there to intimidate, harass, and be a nuisance. Probably had wet dreams about some lib with a bat approaching him so he could claim self defense and be a "hero" like that other little bitch a few years back.

If a Democrat showed up to a Trump rally with a gun and a mask the cops would dump mags into them without hesitation.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Sure, but he was a leftist in a punk band with lyrics that were very aligned with the values of the protest. Personally, I'm not seeing the right wing mass shooter angle.

Edit: also not really seeing that his intention would be to get a rise out of the libs either... Though if he's a leftist it could be that he despises libs just as much as he despises conservatives. I've just never seen a leftist act with the same intention as right wing militia guys before. But who knows.

https://www.slugmag.com/soundwaves/episode-364-rade/

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[-] [email protected] 4 points 13 hours ago

I'd like to see the video as well. If anyone has a link, would appreciate it.

[-] [email protected] 5 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

Was that the video where one of the peacekeepers pulls the backpack away from the person and starts shouting about how he has a rifle, and then cops descend on the guy with the rifle?

If so, that might have been them later detaining the peacekeeper who shot the guy who ran into the crowd (the same peacekeeper who accidentally shot the Samoan bystander)?

Or maybe not. This whole situation is very confusing.

Edit: Or more likely, the guy with the rifle who was called out and detailed by cops wasn't the volunteer but instead was the guy who initially ran at the crowd. Either way, it's still a confusing situation.

[-] [email protected] 4 points 13 hours ago

but it's his legal right.

One of the stupidest laws in existence

[-] [email protected] 4 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

It exists because of British troops disarming the populations of their colonies centuries ago, and is implemented in its current state due to a massive number of laws and court cases since.

The US Constitution should have been rewritten from scratch multiple times by now so outdated bits like that went away.

[-] [email protected] 1 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

Do Americans not see how insane it is to allow such a "right" at a mass gathering? The risk is so obvious with literally no benefit.

[-] [email protected] 17 points 17 hours ago

Others have discovered that Gamboa has carried his rifle at other "non-right" protests while dressed in a similar manner. They may be a case of the shooter being jumpy.

[-] [email protected] 18 points 14 hours ago

Maybe he was a wannabe Rittenhouse. Set up situations where he can claim self defense despite placing himself deliberately in situations that are potentially inflammatory.

[-] [email protected] 6 points 13 hours ago

I would argue he should have carried his rifle the whole time and not concealed it in a bag and pulled it out amidst the crowd before I consider the jumpiness of the person trying to keep the crowd safe.

[-] [email protected] 22 points 19 hours ago

Your country is whack

[-] [email protected] 58 points 19 hours ago

Thanks, we know that. Got anything helpful to share with the class?

[-] [email protected] 4 points 12 hours ago

Your hearts are in the right place!

[-] [email protected] 5 points 11 hours ago

SOME of our hearts are in the right place

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[-] [email protected] 27 points 17 hours ago

Not the whole US. Here in Lemmy you get to know a lot of very reasonable people and the No Kings protests showed they are real people too. Yes, the USA state is too damn tangled with some of their founding fathers ideas, which are obsolete, their hegemonist mindset and a stale democratic system, but reading and listening to this people has been refreshing lately. I'm really proud of these people finally getting out, taking to the streets. Just hoping they will be prepared for a long and hard fight.

[-] [email protected] 37 points 19 hours ago

WE KNOW

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this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2025

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