Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a celebrated fashion designer and former "Project Runway" contestant, was identified as the man fatally struck by a stray bullet during a Utah "No Kings" protest.
Tensions flared in Salt Lake City after dark as crowds grew near downtown, prompting the presence of volunteer "peacekeepers" tasked with helping maintain safety during the rally.
Ah Loo, known in the fashion world as "Afa," was unintentionally shot by a volunteer trying to stop an armed individual during the event, Fox 13 Now reported. According to witnesses, the suspect, 24-year-old Arturo Roberto Gamboa, pulled an AR-15 rifle from his backpack and began to raise it toward the crowd.
Two volunteers reportedly shouted at him to drop the weapon, and when he didn't comply, one opened fire. A stray bullet struck Ah Loo, 39, who later died at the hospital despite emergency efforts. Gamboa was treated for a minor wound and then taken into custody on suspicion of murder.
The "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City was one of more than 1,800 demonstrations nationwide opposing what organizers called authoritarian overreach by the Trump administration. The peaceful daytime events were in response to the president's deployment of military forces to protests against ICE efforts and his military parade celebrating the Army's 250th birthday.
Originally published on Latin Times
