Protester shot and killed at ‘No Kings’ rally in Utah, police say
Protester shot and killed at ‘No Kings’ rally in Utah, police say
Salt Lake City police say a demonstrator who was shot at the city's “No Kings” protest has died and that the bullet that killed him appears to have been fired by one of the demonstration's peacekeepers.
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.
The comments are too fucking confusing. Who shot who?
Oh look. A conservative traitor instigated the violence.
I am many shades of unsurprised.
Domestic terrorists folks. Every last one. Because they've all chosen to support it despite knowing. Time to start treating them like the terrorists they are.
It's being reported that Arturo is an activist who regularly open-carries in support at protests. Meanwhile you're making confidently incorrect claims that he is a conservative traitor and terrorist. Stay classy.
You mean the thugs hired by 50501?
I know Arturo, and if you did any sort of due diligence, you’d know he’s a hardcore leftist.
If you think Arturo was a ‘conservative traitor’, I think you have more problems with simply accepting what our right wing media apparatus chooses to push.
What I'm reading is that the guy with a rifle, Gamboa, has attended protests armed before. It looks like the peacekeeper thought he was a shooter, but there's no evidence so far Gamboa did anything illegal.
Yeah in another thread there's an interview of the rifleman from his time in a punk band talking about the system. This is likely going to be a shit show when the partisan pundits pick it up
Yea what I read was that he was "pointing a rifle at protesters".
Don't aim a gun at a person if you are not ready to fight and die.
I would argue this is not only self defence, but public defence.
Edit: looks like its not completely clear if he was brandishing the rifle or just open carying, obviously my argument doesn't technically hold water if he was just open carrying.
I would also argue that open carying a weapon well know for use in mass shootings right next to a large crowd is probably a dumb idea even if it's legal to do.
It looks like the peacekeeper thought he was a shooter
As he should.
Brandish a firearm in public, you are attempting to intimidate others, so you'll get treated like the terrorist you are.
Brandish a firearm in public
Be real careful applying the term "brandish".
Utah is a constitutional carry state, meaning anyone 21+ who can legally own a firearm can carry it concealed or openly without a permit.
In my state, Minnesota, you have to take a class and qualify to carry a firearm and during the state approved training your told to follow these steps:
- No force - avoidance, retreat or de-escalating
- No force - Telephone for help, Verbal warning
- Unarmed self defense
- Less than lethal - exposing firearm
- Deadly force - pointing the firearm at another person, shooting at someone, shooting and killing someone
That is what I'm thinking. At first I went along with the speculation that Gamboa was intending to shoot into the crowd. But after reviewing the video, it looks more like he was just walking and open carrying with the rifle pointed down. It might not have been the best move in hindsight, but he had the legal right to do so.
Also after listening to his Slugmag interview I'm just not seeing the motivation for a mass shooting. Unless maybe he intended to shoot cops or something. He just doesn't seem to fit the profile & ideology of a mass shooter.
Edit: the interview if anyone is curious https://www.slugmag.com/soundwaves/episode-364-rade/
Which video are you talking about? Please provide a link.
EDIT: I think this is it. The short snippet shows the barrel pointed down. Having a masked gunman in a crowd of people is terrifying af!
Dressed in all black with a mask and a gun walking briskly toward a crowd...
Helpful link, thank you
Exactly. The peacekeeper who shot into the crowd should be charged instead.
I dunno about that. The peacekeeper saw the dude go retrieve a rifle, confronted him, and he ran aiming the rifle at the crowd.
I suppose your argument is that the guy hadn't actually pulled the trigger when the peacekeeper acted? That seems insane to me.
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.
Maybe guns are bad, and maybe if you bring a rifle to a high tense situation and hold it in any manner that may seem threatening, you deserve to get shot. Super sad that an innocent died. Had the "good guy" with a gun hit the target only, then at least there would only be one less moron carrying an AR-15 today, not a sad casualty.
Yup. If you brandish a firearm in public, you are clearly trying to intimidate others. You deserve to be shot down.
I can't tell if there's a /s missing there or not, but if there is, this person allegedly pointed the gun into a crowd and advanced showing intent. I would also agree that even in jest, if you brandish, you are signalling intent and immediately forfeit your right to life.
As always, ACAB.
Why bring up ACAB in this situation? The police were not involved in either side of the shooting. Per the article’s description the rifleman pulled out a rifle and appeared to be readying to fire before a protest peacekeeper (not police) shot and injured him using a handgun. Unfortunately in the cross fire one protester was killed by the peacekeeper but it looks like this prevented a potential mass shooting event.
Sounds like the cops are in the right here...
Gamboa was the idiot who pulled his rifle on a crowd of peaceful protestors.
The protestors, being smart, had peacekeepers who were defensively carrying.
One of the peacekeepers shot at Gamboa, and ended up hitting Ah Loo, who was (apparently) an innocent bystander.
Gamboa broke the cardinal rule of carrying a gun: don't point it at anything that you aren't planning to kill. Defensive peacekeeper took the appropriate action in disarming a very valid threat (especially considering the actions that MAGAts had been taking on protestors lately). Cops arrested Gamboa.
I've got sympathy for Ah Loo (and the peacekeeper that shot him)...but that death is on Gamboa. That's felony homicide right there. FAFO, Gamboa.
You posted this and even you didn't read the article?
I based my comment on the following: the peacekeepers weren't supposed to be carrying weapons, yet one who did AND shot into a crowd - killing an innocent bystander - isn't charged. But they do charge another guy who had a weapon but never fired a shot.
So again, as always, ACAB.
Maybe next time, instead of assuming, you could just ask.
Doesn’t actually look like the cops were involved in the situation at all.
Lol. You are one dumb loser.
Really? Come on man…
I assume the national guard and marines will roam the syreets of SLC now.