logo
#

Latest news with #AR-15

Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash
Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash

Scottish Sun

time7 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • Scottish Sun

Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BOMBSHELL new images from Sean "Diddy" Combs' mansion have been revealed - with shelves stacked with baby oil, shotguns sprawled around, and his ketamine stash unveiled. The disgraced music mogul, 55, is currently on trial in New York for sex-trafficking, and faces life behind bars if convicted. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 10 Shelves of baby oil were photographed in the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Agents also discovered various weaponry Credit: Department of Justice 10 Bags of ketamine were seized Credit: Department of Justice 10 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Credit: Getty He's pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, as prosecutors alleged his business empire was also a criminal enterprise. The abundance of explosive pics were released by federal prosecutors as the trial was stalled due to the Juneteenth holiday. The bombshell items were seized by Homeland Security officials during the March 2024 raid at Combs' mansion in the neighborhood of Holmby Hills - a playground for the rich and famous. One chilling image shows baby oil neatly displayed across three shelves in one room of the sprawling property. READ MORE ON DIDDY TRIAL SHOCK Kanye sensationally crashes Diddy trial but 'storms out mins later' Homeland Security Investigations agent Andre Lamon has testified that he found 900 bottles of lubricant Astroglide and 200 bottles of baby oil at Combs' home. Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo said the disgraced star likes to "buy in bulk like any other American". Another image shows various weapons confiscated by agents, including deadly AR-15 style rifles and pump shotguns. Investigators also discovered bags of the drug ketamine that were photographed as evidence. Federal prosecutors have alleged that the Schedule III, or Class B substance was used in the infamous "freak-offs". Combs would put women through days-long "freak-off" sex parties while filming them, a court heard last month. Kanye shows up to Diddy's sex trafficking trial in blacked out Maybach after being spotted in NYC with wife Bianca A few weeks ago, Combs' ex-girlfriend testified about opening "Pandora's box" after she agreed to the music executive's proposal to engage in sex with strangers. The woman, who is being identified in court under the pseudonym Jane, recalled on the stand about falling "head over heels" for Combs after they first met in late 2020. She said that she did various drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy, molly, and ketamine, every time she saw Combs between February and May 2021. During the March 2024 raid, a hard drive was also seized, and the property's security system was turned off. Combs forked out almost $40 million on the 17,000 square-foot, 10-bedroom home back in September 2014. He put it on the market a decade later for $61.5 million. The property boasts outdoor features such as a swimming pool, and its lawns are neat. Inside, there is a 35-seat theater room, a wine cellar, a gym, as well as a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen. Its other features include a basketball court, spa room, and an outdoor loggia-style facility where barbecues can be hosted, per the Zillow listing. 10 Combs' Los Angeles home lies empty more than a year after being raided by the feds Credit: The US Sun 10 900 bottles were allegedly found at the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Numerous guns were found in the raid Credit: Department of Justice 10 Drawers allegedly contained women's lingerie and heels Credit: Department of Justice 10 Combs' trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks Credit: Department of Justice There's also an underground swimming tunnel that is linked to a grotto. Meanwhile, even if Combs is found guilty, he could be pardoned by President Donald Trump. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on the court case during a news conference with Elon Musk and revealed he would consider whether or not he has been "mistreated." Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics. Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun.

Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash
Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash

The Irish Sun

time7 hours ago

  • Entertainment
  • The Irish Sun

Explosive new Diddy mansion pics reveal star's shelves stacked with baby oil, a vast weapons arsenal & ketamine stash

BOMBSHELL new images from Sean "Diddy" Combs' mansion have been revealed - with shelves stacked with baby oil, shotguns sprawled around, and his ketamine stash unveiled. The disgraced music mogul , 55, is currently on trial in New York for sex-trafficking, and faces life behind bars if convicted. 10 Shelves of baby oil were photographed in the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Agents also discovered various weaponry Credit: Department of Justice 10 Bags of ketamine were seized Credit: Department of Justice 10 Sean 'Diddy' Combs at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Credit: Getty He's pleaded not guilty to charges of , racketeering conspiracy, and transportation to engage in prostitution, as prosecutors alleged his business empire was also a criminal enterprise. The abundance of explosive pics were released by federal prosecutors as the trial was stalled due to the Juneteenth holiday. The bombshell items were seized by Homeland Security officials during the March 2024 raid at Combs' mansion in the neighborhood of Holmby Hills - a playground for the rich and famous. One chilling image shows baby oil neatly displayed across three shelves in one room of the sprawling property. READ MORE ON DIDDY Homeland Security Investigations agent Andre Lamon has testified that he found 900 bottles of lubricant Astroglide and 200 bottles of baby oil at Combs' home. Defense Attorney Marc Agnifilo said the disgraced star likes to "buy in bulk like any other American". Another image shows various weapons confiscated by agents, including deadly AR-15 style rifles and pump shotguns. Investigators also discovered bags of the drug ketamine that were photographed as evidence. Most read in Entertainment Federal prosecutors have alleged that the Schedule III, or Class B substance was used Combs would put women through days-long "freak-off" sex parties while filming them, a court heard last month. Kanye shows up to Diddy's sex trafficking trial in blacked out Maybach after being spotted in NYC with wife Bianca A few weeks ago, Combs' ex-girlfriend testified about sex with strangers. The woman, who is being identified in court under the pseudonym Jane, recalled on the stand about falling "head over heels " for She said that she did various drugs , including cocaine, ecstasy, molly, and ketamine, every time she saw Combs between February and May 2021. During the March 2024 raid, a hard drive was also seized, and the property's security system was turned off. Combs forked out almost $40 million on the 17,000 square-foot, 10-bedroom home back in September 2014. He put it on the market a decade later for $61.5 million. The property boasts outdoor features such as a swimming pool, and its lawns are neat. Inside, there is a 35-seat theater room, a wine cellar, a gym, as well as a state-of-the-art gourmet kitchen. Its other features include a basketball court, spa room, and an outdoor loggia-style facility where barbecues can be hosted, per the 10 Combs' Los Angeles home lies empty more than a year after being raided by the feds Credit: The US Sun 10 900 bottles were allegedly found at the mansion Credit: Department of Justice 10 Numerous guns were found in the raid Credit: Department of Justice 10 Drawers allegedly contained women's lingerie and heels Credit: Department of Justice 10 Combs' trial is expected to last eight to 10 weeks Credit: Department of Justice There's also an underground swimming tunnel that is linked to a grotto. Meanwhile, even if Combs is found guilty, he could be pardoned by President Donald Trump. Trump surprised reporters by commenting on the court case during a news conference with Elon Musk and revealed he would consider whether or not he has been "mistreated." Asked if he would consider pardoning him, Trump said, "Nobody's asked. But I know people are thinking about it. I think some people have been very close to asking." He said he felt the former music mogul used to like him "a lot" but wasn't his biggest fan after he went into politics . Despite this, Trump said, "I would certainly look at the facts. If I think somebody was mistreated, whether they like me or don't like me, it wouldn't have any impact on me." If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) at 800-656-HOPE (4673). Diddy locked eyes with us as he entered the courtroom - inside the trial of the decade By Israel S-Rodriguez, Senior News Reporter at The U.S. Sun The federal sex trafficking trial of Sean 'Diddy' Combs began with jury selection on May 5. Combs is standing trial at the Southern District of New York Courthouse in Lower Manhattan - an intimidating federal courthouse where the cases of Ghislaine Maxwell, Donald Trump, and Bernard Madoff, among others, were tried. Once a powerful founder of a music and business empire, Combs has been reduced to a defendant, inmate 37452-054, stripped of his mogul status, and now standing trial on five federal charges with the full wrath of the United States government against him. When I attended Day 3 of jury selection at the federal courthouse on May 7, the buzz around the start of the trial was palpable. Hours before the courthouse opened its doors, more than a dozen reporters and members of the public stood in line in hopes of securing a seat in the gallery for the high-profile trial. As you walk through the glass door entrance of the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse, you are met by bulletproof vest-clad court officers. All visitors must separate their electronic devices from their personal belongings, which are passed through a metal detector. Visitors walk through a metal detector before a court officer hands them a poker chip. The courthouse uses a poker chip system to sort the number of electronic devices visitors are in possession of. Electronic devices, such as Bluetooth-powered headphones, voice recorders, laptops, cellphones, and smart watches, are confiscated before you're allowed to enter the courthouse's main hallway. As about a half-dozen reporters and I waited in the gallery for jury selection, we witnessed how Combs entered the courtroom shackle-free. Combs entered with his hands pressed together, greeted his defense team before he examined the gallery, and locked eyes with reporters and potential jurors. The 55-year-old disgraced Bad Boy Records executive was attentive and engaged with his counsel as they grilled dozens of potential jurors. As jury selection wrapped up for the day, Combs embraced each of his female defense attorneys before he mouthed "thank you" to a handful of supporters in the gallery. I attended trial again as opening statements got underway on May 12 and the world media waited anxiously outside the federal courthouse before the sun rose in Lower Manhattan. A line stretched down the block from the federal courthouse as some members of the media and from the public camped out overnight to try to obtain a coveted seat inside the gallery. At least three overflow rooms were made available for reporters and the public, who are eager to witness the prosecutions case against the music mogul. At least half a dozen members of Combs' family arrived at the courthouse as spectators filed in single order to enter the federal building to turn over all their electronic devices. Combs' trial is being held on the 26th floor in Judge Arun Subramanian's courtroom and is expected to last for eight weeks. We'll bring it all to you on The U.S. Sun. 10 A sketch of Sean 'Diddy' Combs during his sex trafficking trial in New York on June 4, 2025 Credit: Reuters

Supreme Court upholds child sex change ban in Tennessee
Supreme Court upholds child sex change ban in Tennessee

American Military News

timea day ago

  • Health
  • American Military News

Supreme Court upholds child sex change ban in Tennessee

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law on Wednesday that bans sex changes for minors in the state, ruling that the prohibition on 'certain medical treatments for transgender minors' is not discrimination under the Fourteenth Amendment. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court said, 'Tennessee's law prohibiting certain medical treatments for transgender minors is not subject to heightened scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and satisfies rational basis review.' According to Fox News, the case, 'United States v. Skrmetti,' was originally brought against Tennessee's Senate Bill 1, which bans 'all medical treatments intended to allow 'a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex' or to treat 'purported discomfort or distress from a discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity.'' Tennessee's Senate Bill 1 prevents healthcare providers from performing sex change procedures for minors with gender dysphoria and from using hormone and puberty blocker treatments to allow minors to transition to a different sex. READ MORE: Supreme Court allows AR-15, high-capacity magazine bans to continue In the Supreme Court's majority opinion on Wednesday, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, 'This case carries with it the weight of fierce scientific and policy debates about the safety, efficacy, and propriety of medical treatments in an evolving field. The voices in these debates raise sincere concerns; the implications for all are profound.' 'The Equal Protection Clause does not resolve these disagreements. Nor does it afford us license to decide them as we see best,' Roberts added. 'Our role is not 'to judge the wisdom, fairness, or logic' of the law before us, Beach Communications, 508 U. S., at 313, but only to ensure that it does not violate the equal protection guarantee of the Fourteenth Amendment. Having concluded it does not, we leave questions regarding its policy to the people, their elected representatives, and the democratic process.' Following the Supreme Court's ruling on Wednesday, conservative political commentator Matt Walsh released a statement saying that he was 'grateful' to be a part of a 'truly historic victory' after years of fighting against child sex change procedures. 'Three years ago, we launched our investigation into Vanderbilt's child mutilation practices. We rallied in the state capital. Our lawmakers responded with a law banning child mutilation in the state,' Walsh tweeted. 'Today the Supreme Court upheld our law, which means child mutilation can be banned anywhere and everywhere in the country. And should be.'

‘Peacekeeper' involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings' protest is a military veteran, organizers say
‘Peacekeeper' involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings' protest is a military veteran, organizers say

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Politics
  • Yahoo

‘Peacekeeper' involved in shooting at SLC ‘No Kings' protest is a military veteran, organizers say

People take cover after gunshots rang out during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) As questions continue to circle around the 'peacekeepers' acting as armed security at the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, when police say a man inadvertently shot and killed a bystander, protest organizers issued a statement Tuesday saying the 'safety volunteer' who was involved is a 'military veteran.' 'During the protest an individual was spotted holding an AR-15 style weapon,' organizers with Utah 50501 said in the prepared statement provided to Utah News Dispatch on Tuesday. 'Our team of safety volunteers, who have been selected because of their military, first responder, and other relevant de-escalation experience, believed that there was an imminent threat to the protesters and took action.' Utah 50501 is a state chapter of the 50501 Movement, a grassroots group that organizes rallies to protest actions by President Donald Trump and his administration. According to Salt Lake City police, the shooting happened after two men described as 'peacekeepers' confronted another man, 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who was carrying an AR-15 style rifle. One of the men, reportedly part of the event's security team, fired three shots from a handgun, grazing Gamboa but also hitting an 'innocent bystander,' Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, who was pronounced dead at a hospital. Beloved Utah fashion designer's friends remember his life and his last moments Shortly after the shooting, police arrested Gamboa, and he was booked into jail for investigation of murder. Police say, however, that Gamboa did not fire his rifle. The two 'peacekeepers,' who wore high-visability vests, were initially detained by police, but were released after being questioned. Police said the man who fired the three shots is cooperating with investigators. 'The safety volunteer who responded to the individual (holding the rifle) and who was questioned by police is a military veteran,' the Utah 50501 statement said. 'The person currently in custody was apprehended thanks to a protester who saw the rifle and brought it to police attention.' In the statement, Utah 50501 organizers also expressed 'profound heartbreak' for the death of Ah Loo. 'We are mourning Afa Ah Loo with everything we have, and we are holding his family and friends in our hearts,' the statement said. 'Afa's name, courage, and commitment to his people will never be forgotten. We express our dearest and deepest sympathy to all those who knew and loved him.' The protests' organizers also noted the investigation into the shooting is 'still currently ongoing. At this time SLCPD has not chosen to charge any of the volunteers.' Salt Lake City police are investigating the shooting, but the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office will ultimately decide charges. As of Tuesday, no charges had been filed against Gamboa or anyone else involved in the shooting. The Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office has declined to say whether prosecutors are considering filing any charges against the 'peacekeepers' who were involved in the shooting. Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest 'This continues to be an active investigation by the SLCPD that is yet to be screened by our office, which is not uncommon or of concern as we remain so early into the criminal inquiry,' Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a prepared statement issued Tuesday. 'When the gathered evidence is presented to our office and homicide team, we will have a better understanding of facts, evidence and any chargeable decision,' Gill continued. 'Until then any conjecture would be purely speculative, inaccurate and inappropriate.' Gill urged Utahns to 'be patient and let law enforcement finish their work.' He also asked anyone 'who may have evidence or may be witnesses to contact and share that information with the SLCPD.' He referred to a link to the Salt Lake City Police Department's website, where evidence can be submitted online. In the days following the chaotic shooting, unanswered questions remain, including more details of who the 'peacekeepers' were and how they were vetted to be acting as armed security. Questions also remain regarding Gamboa's intentions and why he brought a rifle to the protest. As Utahns grieve Ah Loo's death, some have applauded actions by the 'peacekeepers' to prevent what could have been a mass shooting, while others have questioned whether the armed man who shot at Gamboa and inadvertently fatally struck Ah Loo acted appropriately. The Utah 50501 statement provided Tuesday offered a bit more information about who the protest's organizers said served as 'safety volunteers,' including that the people selected had 'military, first responder, and other relevant de-escalation experience,' and that the man involved was a 'military veteran.' However, other questions remain unanswered, including the ages of the two 'peacekeepers' that were involved in the shooting, how they were vetted, and how many of them present at the protest were armed. The Utah News Dispatch on Monday sent emails to both national and local organizers asking those questions and others. On Tuesday, Utah organizers pointed to the prepared statement and declined to provide interviews at this time. 'The organizers genuinely want to engage with the public but we have to balance the public's need for transparency with the participant's legal and psychological health,' the organizers said in an email. Utah 50501 organizers have drawn some criticism over the shooting, including from other local activist groups. The group Armed Queers SLC, which describes itself as an 'LGBTQ organization dedicated to the defense, and success, of oppressed people's movements,' posted a statement on its Instagram story saying 'we are still shocked at how the events unraveled' at the protest. 'Armed Queers takes gun ownership and its use for defense of our communities very seriously, and reject the way this situation was handled,' the group said. 'This event resulted in a direct loss of life that could have been avoided, and other measures should have been in place for proper de-escalation before openly shooting into a vulnerable crowd.' Armed Queers, the statement said, 'had no involvement in the planning' of Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest, adding that though some members attended, 'Armed Queers was given very little information about this event or our role in it.' 'We were asked to work as extra members of 50501's de-escalation team 2 days before the event,' their statement added. 'We agreed to participate because the organizers were concerned about agitators, but we were given very few details and transparency about the de-escalation plan.' The group said its members 'worked as a 'secondary de-escalation' team, and had no real interaction with agitators, or coordination with the event organizers while fulfilling that role.' It noted that no Armed Queers members were wearing high-visability vests, and no Armed Queers were 'part of any escalation of events.' 'One of Armed Queers' founding principles is 'The abolition of prisons and police as they serve as nothing but tools of capitalist oppression.' We completely reject any collaboration with the police or efforts by the state to celebrate certain protest movements, while repressing others,' the Armed Queers statement added. 'We were only made aware of any information being shared with the police when public videos had surfaced of 50501's team.' The group added that they grieve 'the killing of Afa Ah Loo. His life was unjustly cut short, and our hearts are with his family and his community.' Organizers with the national 50501 Movement have said they discourage people from bringing firearms to protests. 'In the face of this heartbreaking situation, we would like to affirm our commitment to nonviolence and to our non-negotiable prohibition of firearms policy for anyone representing 50501 at any of our actions or events,' organizers with the national 50501 Movement said in a Facebook post Monday. 'It is clear we do not have a complete understanding of what happened yet. What is certain is that, if no guns were present at the protest, this tragedy would have been prevented altogether.' Utah, however, is a 'constitutional carry' state, which means its laws allow the open and concealed carrying of firearms without a permit for those who are legally allowed to possess them. In 2021, with HB60, the Republican-controlled Utah Legislature eliminated the state's concealed carry permit requirements. Now, anyone 21 and over who can legally possess a gun is free to carry it loaded and hidden in public. Unlike 26 other states, Utah has not adopted a law prohibiting carrying long guns at state capitols or political protests, according to Everytown Research & Policy, an organization that produces research on gun violence and advocates for gun violence prevention. The group has ranked Utah as No. 36 in the country for 'gun law strength.' Salt Lake City Police spokesperson Brent Weisberg said in a lengthy statement issued Monday that police are continuing to investigate the 'peacekeepers' involvement, as well as other aspects of the protest's organization and staffing. He said neither of the two men identified as 'peacekeepers' involved in the shooting were 'current or former members of law enforcement, including the Salt Lake City Police Department.' Police investigating 'peacekeepers' role in fatal shooting at 'No Kings' protest in Utah 'While Utah law governs when and how a person may carry and use a firearm, the lawfulness of any individual's possession or use depends on the specific facts and circumstances of each case,' Weisberg said. Weisberg said it 'remains unclear whether these individuals were hired by or volunteered for the event organizers, or acted on their own initiative.' He also noted that the term 'peacekeeper' does not 'represent any formal designation recognized by the Salt Lake City Police Department or the City,' and that there was 'no record in the event's permit indicating the presence of organized or armed security.' He said the 'peacekeeping' term was how the volunteer questioned by police 'self-identified.' 'While the Salt Lake City Police Department was aware that Saturday's demonstration would include people in support roles, such as those helping to marshal or guide the crowd, these functions are entirely internal to the event,' Weisberg said. 'They are not overseen, sanctioned, or trained by the Salt Lake City Police Department. From the department's standpoint, these persons are considered members of the public, subject to the same rights and responsibilities as any other person in Utah.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE

Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's ‘No Kings' protest
Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's ‘No Kings' protest

Yahoo

timea day ago

  • Yahoo

Man dies after being shot in chaotic scene at Salt Lake City's ‘No Kings' protest

Lisa Anger, left, and Amber Ponder hug near the scene where a man was shot during the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch) A 39-year-old man died Saturday night after being shot during Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' protest while a crowd of about 10,000 people marched near 151 S. State Street, the Salt Lake City Police Department confirmed Sunday. Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a Utah resident, was shot at the demonstration. Despite life-saving efforts from SWAT medics and Salt Lake City Fire, Ah Loo died at an area hospital. As of Sunday morning there were still unreleased details about the incident as the investigation is ongoing, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said in a news conference. A chaotic scene ensued after two armed men in high visibility vests, who Redd described as 'possibly part of the event's peacekeeping team' saw 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa separating from the crowd, moving behind a wall, pulling out a rifle and starting to manipulate 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,' Redd said on Sunday. 'One of the individuals fired three rounds, striking Gamboa, and tragically striking the man who later died.' The preliminary police investigation found that the victim was not the intended target, 'but rather an innocent bystander participating in the demonstration,' Redd said. Gamboa also sustained a minor gunshot wound in the confrontation. As the scene unfolded, a bystander took a backpack from Gamboa that contained an AR-15 style rifle and a gas mask, Redd said. Gamboa's motivations for being at the protest are still unclear, and there is no indication that others were working with him, Redd said. Detectives booked Gamboa into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail for investigation of murder, police said in a release. Gamboa has no criminal history, police said. Jail documents state he is being held without bail. Police had not taken any action against the two peacekeeping members as of Sunday, Redd said. The man who fired the shots is cooperating with police. 2 people shot, including suspect in custody, during 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City, Utah The scene was chaotic and unfolded very quickly, Redd said, but many people assisted the officers. 'The crowd actually pointed him out to law enforcement, and their actions were heroic,' Redd said. In a Facebook post Sunday morning, Utah 50501 — the group that organized Saturday's protest — said it is currently working with police. 'Our team was directly involved. We have been in direct contact with law enforcement,' the Facebook post read. 'Some of you seem to think a keyboard and social media give you a free pass to be nasty and accusatory. Our teams just had to deal with something extremely traumatizing and when faced with personal risk to their own lives, chose to run towards the danger in order to serve this community.' The group said it's working to set up a vigil for the victim. 'We respectfully ask to refrain from speculation about the alleged shooter's motives and identity — that information will come out soon enough. It is better to wait for the facts, even though it is difficult given the emotional and charged nature of this incident,' the group said in a separate Facebook post Sunday morning. 'This was a horrific moment of violence in a historic day full of thousands of Utahns exercising their right to protest. Nothing will ever change the undeniable strength of our community.' Before the news of Ah Loo's death went public, Salt Lake City Democrats Rep. Jen Dailey-Provost and Sen. Jen Plumb, who represent downtown communities in the Legislature, issued a statement expressing 'distress, dismay and sorrow' about the Saturday shooting in Salt Lake City and the assassination of the Minnesota House Democratic-Farmer-Labor caucus leader Melissa Hortman. The Democrats said that these are 'stark examples of the current crisis of our nation's integrity.' 'As many have stated, violence has no place here,' the lawmakers wrote in a joint statement. 'We would argue more strongly, however, that every elected official must actively partake in changing the horrific rhetoric and divisiveness that drives public discourse in our society today; rhetoric that is supported and perpetuated by many in our state and nation's top leadership positions.' Simple remarks, the lawmakers said, will not suffice as a response. Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, extended condolences to Ah Loo's family in a social media post, describing the incident as 'a heartbreaking situation.' 'My thoughts are with everyone affected,' Adams wrote. 'I also want to express my gratitude to all the security officers whose quick response helped prevent a mass casualty. In difficult moments like this, we must come together with shared compassion and a commitment to unity.' Contributing: Kyle Dunphey SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store