Latest news with #peacekeepers
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
National 50501 Movement no longer affiliated with Salt Lake group after fatal shooting
SALT LAKE CITY — Organizers of the national 50501 Movement on Thursday announced they are disassociating themselves with the Salt Lake City affiliate following the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander by 'peacekeeper' volunteers of the group. 'We are unable to release any further information at this time as this is still an active legal investigation. To reiterate, we are decentralized. Each local group is autonomous, and they are responsible for their planning. Due to SLC 50501's disregard for our nonnegotiable values, we are no longer affiliated with them,' the national group announced Thursday on Facebook and other social media. On Saturday, about 8 p.m., as an estimated 10,000 people were marching on State Street, two men who police say described themselves as part of the 'peacekeeping' group for the rally spotted 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa near 151 S. State. One of the men says he watched Gamboa move away from the main crowd to a secluded area behind a wall. 'The peacekeepers found this behavior to be suspicious and kept Arturo in view. One of the peacekeepers observed Arturo remove an AR-15 style rifle from a backpack he was carrying. He observed Arturo begin to manipulate the rifle, and they called out to him to drop the gun after drawing their own firearms. Arturo then lifted the rifle, and according to witnesses he began to run toward the large crowd gathered on State Street holding the rifle in a firing position,' a police booking affidavit states. Police say Gamboa did not fire a shot during the confrontation with rally volunteers. But one of the two men who confronted him fired three rounds from his own handgun and injured Gamboa and also killed an innocent bystander, 39-year-old Arthur Folasa 'Afa' Ah Loo. Gamboa was arrested for investigation of murder. As of Thursday, the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office said it was still considering formal charges. The so-called 'peacekeepers' were not arrested, but their cases will also be screened by the district attorney's office. Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for 50501, told CNN right after the incident that volunteer peacekeeping teams are common for protests. She said organizers ask attendees, including the peacekeepers, not to bring weapons. Still, Parker said the two men in Salt Lake City stopped what could have been a larger mass casualty event. 'Our safety team did as best as they could in a situation that is extremely sad and extremely scary,' Parker said. On Thursday, however, the group issued a new statement saying that 'in the immediate aftermath, amid heartbreak and confusion, our early statements included inaccuracies shaped by fast-moving and incomplete information. We acknowledge those mistakes, and we deeply regret any additional harm they may have caused to Arturo.' The group now says the Salt Lake City 50501 organizers did not live up to national standards. 'The presence of weapons and any action that endangers lives stands in direct opposition to the values we uphold. We feel deep anguish that harm unfolded in a space connected to our name and vision,' the national group stated. 'While we do not permit firearms at 50501 protests, we recognize that Utah law permits the open carry of weapons, and this reality shaped some of the events that unfolded. 'As we mourn Afa's loss, we are taking deliberate steps to ensure that the name 50501 continues to reflect the values we hold sacred: disciplined, accountable and life-affirming. Our commitment to building a movement rooted in truth, nonviolence and the inherent dignity of al people remains unchanged,' the group said.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
'Peacekeepers' under scrutiny in deadly Salt Lake City protest shooting
Utah officials are investigating the role that so-called peacekeepers played in the killing of celebrated fashion designer Arthur Folasa Ah Loo on Saturday at the 'No Kings' demonstration in Salt Lake City, police said. The investigation will focus on staffing at the march, including the responsibilities assigned to people working and volunteering at the protest. It was unclear, police said, whether the 'peacekeepers' were hired by event organizers or acted on their own. '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,' police said in a statement. '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,' it continued. No state permit is required to purchase a rifle, shotgun or handgun in Utah. The event permit did not include any mention of armed security, police said. Neither of the men involved in Ah Loo's shooting are current or former members of law enforcement. They were wearing high-visibility neon green vests and carrying handguns. Ah Loo, 39, died Saturday night at a hospital after being struck by a bullet that was intended for a man who is now in police custody, Arturo Gamboa. Two 'peacekeepers' told police they saw Gamboa, 24, pull out an AR-15-style rifle from a backpack and 'begin manipulating it.' They shouted at Gamboa to drop his weapon, but he allegedly advanced on a crowd of protesters with his rifle raised, according to police records. One of the 'peacekeepers' fired three rounds at Gamboa and accidentally hit Ah Loo, police said. Gamboa received minor injuries and was arrested at the scene for investigation of murder. Although he did not fire the fatal shot, Gamboa could be charged with murder because detectives 'developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member,' police said. Event organizers from the 50501 Movement - Utah did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement posted to social media, the group thanked first responders and safety teams. 'And to the protester we lost, we will not forget you,' the statement said. The national chapter of 50501 said in a statement posted to social media that a 'local volunteer' fired the three rounds that killed Ah Loo. The group did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 'In the face of this heartbreaking situation, we would like to reaffirm our commitment to nonviolence and to our non-negotiable prohibition of firearms policy for anyone representing 50501 at any of our actions or events,' the statement read. '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.' This article was originally published on
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Police investigate disruptions at ‘No Kings' rallies; 1 protester killed
Police are investigating at least three disruptions at 'No Kings' protests against President Donald Trump that took place across the country Saturday — including one which led to the death of a protester. The incidents came during a largely peaceful day of protest during which tens of thousands of people packed streets across the country to demonstrate against Trump and his policies. Organizers had said they planned 'No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance' rallies in more than 2,000 cities to oppose what organizers called growing presidential authoritarianism. Here's what to know. The sound of gunfire at a Saturday evening protest and march in Salt Lake City sent hundreds of people scattering in panic to hide in parking garages and in nearby businesses, police said. A 39-year-old man, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, was shot and killed by a person police identified as an armed member of the 'No Kings' protest's peacekeeping team, the Salt Lake City Police Department said in a release Sunday. Ah Loo, police said, was not the 'intended target.' Two peacekeepers, who were carrying handguns and wearing high-visibility neon green vests, were attempting to stop a different man, Arturo Gamboa, 24, whom witnesses saw take out an AR-15-style rifle and run toward protesters 'holding the weapon in a firing position,' police said. One of the peacekeepers fired three times at Gamboa and struck both him and Ah Loo, police said. Gamboa was arrested by police and charged with murder. He was dressed in all black clothing and wearing a black mask, and officers also located a gas mask, black clothing, and a backpack nearby, police said. Police said his actions 'ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member.' Officers also detained the two peacekeepers and are investigating their involvement, police said. 'Detectives have not been able to determine, at this time, why Gamboa pulled out his rifle and began to manipulate it or why he ran from the peacekeepers when they confronted him,' police said. The same day, police arrested Joseph Checklick Jr., 21, after an SUV drove through a crowd departing a 'No Kings' protest Saturday in Culpeper, Virginia. An initial investigation found that Checklick 'intentionally accelerated his vehicle into the dispersing crowd' and struck at least one person as departing protesters crossed a business parking lot, the Culpeper Police Department said Saturday. No injuries were reported to police. Checklick was arrested after a traffic stop and charged with reckless driving. He remains in custody, spokesperson Julia Cole told The Washington Post Monday. The investigation is ongoing, and police are considering additional charges, Cole said. It was not clear how many people were in the crowd. About 600 people attended the demonstration, according to officer Julia Schoelwer of the Culpeper police. Texas Department of Public Safety arrested a suspect after evacuating the State Capitol complex in Austin Saturday because of a threat made against state lawmakers planning to attend a protest there. Soon after the evacuation, the event organizer said it would proceed as planned. The Texas Department of Public Safety did not immediately respond to an inquiry Monday. Martin Weil contributed to this report.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Project Runway star is KILLED at anti-Trump 'No Kings' rally in Utah
A Project Runway star was killed when a man brandished a rifle during an anti-Trump rally in Utah on Saturday. Arthur Folasa 'Afa' Ah Loo, 39, was struck by a man believed to be part of a peacekeeping team for the 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City. The peacekeeper shot at alleged rifleman Arturo Gamboa, 24, after he reportedly pointed his weapon into the crowd, striking both Gamboa and Ah Loo. The bystander, who leaves behind a wife and two young children, later died at the hospital, authorities said Sunday. Police took the into custody Gamboa Saturday evening on a murder charge. Detectives don't yet know why he 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. Ah Loo, a fashion designer from Samoa, recently became an American citizen. He attended the No Kings march because he 'believed that everyone was deserving of basic human rights', Utah Rep. Verona Mauga told KSL-TV. This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates. Police said man believed to be part of the peacekeeping team, dressed in a neon green vest, fired three shots from a handgun at Gamboa, inflicting a relatively minor injury but fatally shooting Ah Loo. Authorities did not share the man's name. Volunteer peacekeeping teams are common for protests, said Sarah Parker, a national coordinator for 50501 Movement, which was a partner in the 'No Kings' protest. But the organizers ask attendees, including the peacekeepers, not to bring weapons, she said. Still, Parker said they stopped what could've been a larger mass casualty event. 'Our safety team did as best as they could in a situation that is extremely sad and extremely scary,' said Parker. Ah Loo, known as Afa, was a husband and father to two children and a fashion designer who leaned into his Samoan heritage, according to a GoFundMe page organized to support his family. Ah Loo founded Creative Pacific, an event celebrating the diversity of the Pacific Islands, with workshops, artists and a fashion runway. He was on Season 17 of the fashion design reality TV show 'Project Runway.' The gunshots sent hundreds of protesters running, some hiding behind barriers and fleeing into parking garages and nearby businesses, police said in a statement. 'That's a gun. Come on, come on, get out,' someone can be heard saying in a video posted to social media that appears to show the events. 'No Kings' protests swept across the country on Saturday, and organizers said millions rallied against what they described as President Donald Trump's authoritarian tendencies. Confrontations were largely isolated. In Riverside, California, authorities said a driver of an SUV struck a woman who was participating in a demonstration and sped away. The woman had 'significant injuries' but was stable, police said, adding that they were still searching for the driver. Outside the Arizona statehouse, a social media video showed protesters Saturday jeering at and then skirmishing with a masked man, who eventually pulled out a handgun, causing the crowd to scatter. Another video showed Arizona Department of Public Safety officers taking the man into custody. The shooter and another person in a neon vest 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. Redd said that the peacekeepers´ actions are also part of the investigation. Police said they recovered an AR-15 style rifle, a gas mask and a backpack at the scene. The Associated Press did not immediately find an attorney listed for Gamboa or contact information for his family in public records.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
'Innocent bystander' shot dead by 'peacekeepers' during 'No Kings' protest in Salt Lake City
An "innocent bystander" at the "No Kings" demonstration in downtown Salt Lake City was shot and killed Saturday, police said. Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, 39, of Utah, died in a hospital, Salt Lake City police said in an update. Detectives believe Ah Loo was at the demonstration as a bystander and "was not the intended target of the gunfire." Police have arrested Arturo Gamboa, 24. He was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a murder charge. It was not immediately clear whether Gamboa was still in jail Sunday and whether he has an attorney. Also detained Saturday were two men who were part of the event "peacekeeping team." One of the "peacekeepers" fired the shot that fatally injured Ah Loo, police said. It was not immediately clear whether those two men will face charges. The men told police they saw Gamboa move away from the crowd and begin manipulating an AR-15-style rife, prompting them to draw their guns and order him to drop the weapon, police said. Instead, Gamboa ran into the crowd, holding his gun in "a firing position," police said. In response, one of the "peacekeepers" fired three shots, one of which struck Gamboa and another which hit Ah Loo, according to police. Police said they are still investigating, specifically looking into the actions of the "peacekeepers," who are not law enforcement officials. Officials still do not know why Gamboa pulled out the rifle or why he ran from the "peacekeepers." Gamboa did not fire the shot that fatally struck Ah Loo, but he still faces the murder charge because detectives "developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member," police said. The state medical examiner's office will determine Ah Loo's official cause and manner of death. A police motor squad detective reported hearing gunshots at 7:56 p.m. Saturday, police said. Officers found Ah Loo injured as they were working to clear the scene and identify the origin of the gunfire, police said. Officials tried to save the man at the scene before he was sent to the hospital in an ambulance. Minutes later, police said, they found Gamboa, who was crouching amid a group of people and had a gunshot wound himself. He had an AR-15-style weapon nearby, police said. Officers also found a gas mask, black clothing and a backpack nearby, the police department said. They then identified the "peacekeepers" wearing high-visibility neon green vests and carrying handguns. The march was one of many "No Kings" events throughout the country Saturday, a counter to President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington. It also came on the heels of days of protests in Los Angeles and other cities across the country following immigration raids. This article was originally published on
