The peaceful protester shot in Salt Lake City yesterday has died.

[RockRaven]

https://kutv.com/news/local/peaceful-protester-killed-by-gunfire-during-no-kings-day-demonstration-in-salt-lake-city

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — Authorities have identified the peaceful protester who was unintentionally shot and killed by an individual believed to be a designated peacekeeper during a “No Kings Day” protest in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said officers from the department’s Motor Squad heard gunfire around 8 p.m. near 100 South and 200 East. Additional officers quickly responded and found a man on the ground, identified as 39-year-old Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Investigators said the suspect, identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, was spotted by two men — believed to be designated peacekeepers — separating himself from the crowd during the march. The men reportedly observed Gamboa move behind a wall and pull out a rifle.

Police said Gamboa raised the weapon into a firing position and began charging toward the crowd. At that point, one of the alleged peacekeepers fired three rounds, striking both Gamboa and Folasa Ah Loo, Chief Redd said.

More at the link.

Does anyone know, is "designated peacekeeper" euphemism for cop, or for private/paid security, or for vigilante?

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Headline from Omaha ...

Innocent man killed as protest security fires at armed suspect in Salt Lake City

https://www.3newsnow.com/us-news/crime/shooting-at-salt-lake-city-no-kings-protest-leaves-1-person-critically-injured


Two other armed individuals wearing high-visibility vests who were "possibly part of the event's peacekeeping team" were also detained initially, Redd said.

"Based on early witness statements, these men saw Gamboa separate from the crowd during the march and move behind a wall, where they noticed him pull out a rifle and begin manipulating it. Gamboa was then confronted by these two men. Witnesses say Gamboa raised the weapon in a firing position and began running toward the crowd. One of the individuals fired three rounds, striking Gamboa and tragically striking the man who later died," Redd said, adding that Gamboa never fired a shot.

He added that the two individuals in high-visibility vests are not in custody and the person who fired the round is cooperating with police.

https://www.ksl.com/article/51330407/1-man-dead-after-being-shot-during-no-kings-protest-in-slc

[Pinback]

7. So if I understand this correctly, a good guy without a gun was killed by a good guy with a gun

and the bad guy with a gun never fired a shot.

Another tragic death in trigger-happy America.

The only saving grace is that the guys who confronted the would-be mass murderer probably prevented more loss of life.

[ThoughtCriminal]

2. Designated peacekeeper?

"Police said Gamboa raised the weapon into a firing position and began charging toward the crowd. At that point, one of the alleged peacekeepers fired three rounds,"

And they are calling this "unintentional" ? Oh, just another score for our "Well Regulated" militia.

[chowder66]

5. Maybe I'm misreading you... but they unintentionally killed an innocent bystander when shooting to stop Gamboa.

[red dog 1]

9. Yeah, that's what it seems like to me too...They were trying to shoot Gamboa, not the innocent bystander.

[Jack Valentino]

32. Yup... gunfire by security aimed at some guy with a rifle, unintentionally hit an innocent bystander....

"Good guys with guns" don't necessarily have the best aiming and firearm skills---
but in this case they possibly prevented an even greater loss of life...

[Igel]

3. Sounds like "protest-organizer-appointed militia."

Somebody gets out of hand, the organizers have enforcers to keep them in line. Whether "false flag" (as all such cases are) or the Antifa/Black Bloc folk who are clearly allies to the cause but have chosen to permit themselves different methods than the majority.

Conversely, if somebody approaches with evil intent, they're not just enforcers but also protestors.

"Private security" but plausibly of the unpaid type.

Could be wrong--perhaps they were paid. But the description should include that bit if true; excluded, one assumes by conversational implicature that it's not.

[dlk]

4. Assassin...

[stillcool]

6. hinky.

[littlemissmartypants]

10. Was there an implication that Arturo Gamboa was the

"designated peacekeeper" as mentioned?

[red dog 1]

11. After carefully re-reading the OP, it looks like the suspect, Gamboa, was NOT a designated peacekeeper.

(I got confused and will delete my reply)

[littlemissmartypants]

13. ❤️

[Evolve Dammit]

12. Murder. Period

[KY_EnviroGuy]

14. The so-called peacekeepers were probably not trained security personnel.

Although thoroughly trained cops and military personnel kill innocent bystanders on a regular basis.

Any gun is a potential instrument of death with the mere flick of a finger.....

RIP to this poor victim and peace be with his family and friends......

[Shipwack]

17. This point is what is inherently wrong with...

“The Good Guy with a Gun” argument.

Some goober who probably has (at most) only shot at a range is going to be a crack shot, under stress, in a confusing real world environment? Even law enforcement has a less than perfect record in these circumstances.

[Melon]

29. This article is horrible. Was Gamboa arrested? Was he a mass shooter?

An individual armed stopping a potential mass shooter with a rifle is a good thing. The unintended individual hit is very bad. But one dead versus a mass shooter with a rifle makes sense. I can’t follow this article.

[flashman13]

15. What we know: There was a bad guy with a gun that probably intended to kill and maim protesters.

There were other guy(s) with a gun(s) that fired on the bad guy. We also know an innocent bystander was killed. That's it for real information.

Without a great many more details, we have no idea how to apportion the blame. The bad guy was brandishing a gun which set the whole affair in motion. Certainly he was to blame to some degree. I can think of numerous things that could have gone south that ultimately let to a man in the crowd being killed. How much blame to access to the good guy(s) is open to question.

We have heard a lot about due process recently. We need to just wait until everyone involved receives their due process.

We also know that it was another needless death in an over armed country where more and more people turn to guns as some kind of solution to their problems.

I know it's not much, but we can send condolences to the victim and his family.

[Brenda]

20. While I agree with your sentiment expressed here...

Some asshole took a gun to a peaceful protest, apparently pretending to be one of the "peacekeepers" (with guns? fucking really?) in order to kill peaceful people.

Something is very wrong here. Why do so many men want to kill peaceful people?

[Jack Valentino]

33. because they don't agree with their opinions

[Dr. Strange]

21. Why do you say that?

Gamboa doesn't seem to have a history that indicates he intended to shoot anyone.

Apparently he's gone to protests armed before, and never shot anyone.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

25. Yep. It looks like the guy was an ANTIFA pro carry guy and security just opened up on him

He doesn’t start running toward the crowd until they start shooing at him.

This is why open carry , especially at a protest, is fucking stupid. Almost as stupid as having untrained armed security.

He wasn’t even adjusting anything he was walking calmly when they opened fire on him

— (@seananigans.bsky.social) 2025-06-16T14:29:48.814Z

[Hassin Bin Sober]

26. .

Here's some pictures of him at a protest in 2020 dressed similarly to yesterday. Per my source,

"In my circles, we are currently thinking he was dressed too militantly for a liberal march and scared jumpy "security" while adjusting kit."

— Robert Evans (the Only Robert Evans) (@iwriteok.bsky.social) 2025-06-16T03:19:34.389Z

[Hassin Bin Sober]

27. .

Moment of the shooting at 0:02 in this video. I believe the guy partially hidden fired at Gamboa, and struck someone marching in the street behind him. The mortally wounded man was tended to near the blue Mazda near the red X. h/t @mrsissy.bsky.social for vid
www.tiktok.com/@marcosbri/v...

— Joce (@jocejocejoe.bsky.social) 2025-06-15T22:44:33.222Z

[Jack Valentino]

35. Well, according to some report I read, he "separated himself from the other protesters",

took cover behind a wall, and raised his rifle.....

and "history" means nothing.... how many mass shooters 'never had any history' indicating danger??
"Oh, he was always a very quiet guy, I can't imagine him ever doing what he did"...


(might well be the same things said about ME, if I ever eventually crack and "go postal" !)

[AllyCat]

16. This is terrible news. The MAGAts have killed

3 people this weekend that we know about.

[MerrilyMerrily]

18. According to the linked article

The designated peacekeepers were supposed to be on the lookout for possible trouble, and they found it. A man moving behind a wall and messing about with a rifle.

The man they confronted, and fired at when he started running towards the crowd with his weapon, was caught a block away, trying to hide in a group of people. Bystanders took his backpack from him - it contained an AR-15 and a gas mask.

It is horribly, horribly sad that a man was accidentally struck and fatally wounded during the attempt to stop a massacre.

It doesn't matter that Arturo Gamboa didn't fire his weapon - whether he didn't get a chance or changed his mind when confronted, or whatever - the blame for Mr. Ah Loo's death is HIS.

[Mountainguy]

24. Exactly right

And he is legally responsible as well.

[Self Esteem]

28. Arturo Gamboa is a Salt Lake leftist who has been known to open carry his AR-15 at protests before...

I don't think he was there to shoot down anyone and Utah has extremely liberal open carry laws.

But that hits home to why open carry is so problematic. How do you know someone carrying a AR-15 and wearing a mask isn't a bad guy about to mow down a crowd of people?

[nolabear]

22. He was a well known fashion designer.

Not enough Peacekeepers. Too many Piecekeepers. An apparently kind, talented man dead because they just want to shoot somebody.

[Mountainguy]

23. Pretty simple

Gamboa had an assault rifle in a backpack. He pulled it out and was moving toward the crowd with it raised at them. On site security shot him, but one of the rounds they fired also hit a bystander, who later died.

Gamboa was also shot in the volley.

Had Gamboa not been stopped, many more protesters would likely have died.

[Melon]

30. This. The shooting was justified.

The bystander being hit is a tragedy that Gamboa rifle guy should be charged with. Murder.

[Mountainguy]

31. I'm sure he will be.

[JI7]

34. Is this the Samoan guy ?

The samoan guy that was shot while protesting ?