Those questions, among others, remained unanswered Monday after a man marching in the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City, identified as Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, was shot and killed on Saturday.

According to 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 Ah Loo, who police said was an “innocent bystander.” Ah Loo later died at the hospital.

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 police.

While Utahns grieve the killing of Ah Loo, some applauded the “peacekeepers'” actions to prevent what could have turned into a mass shooting. Others questioned whether the armed man who shot at Gamboa and inadvertently fatally struck Ah Loo acted appropriately.

What we know — and don’t know — so far

According to an affidavit of probable cause for Gamboa’s arrest, one of the “peacekeepers” told police he saw Gamboa “move away from the main crowd into a secluded area behind a wall.” There, he observed Gamboa take out an AR-15 style rifle from his backpack and begin to “manipulate it.” Then they “called out to him to drop the gun after drawing their own firearms,” according to the affidavit.

“(Gamboa) 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,” the affidavit says. That’s when one of the “peacekeepers” fired three rounds at Gamboa. One of the bullets hit Ah Loo, “causing a fatal wound.”

“The peacekeepers then attempted to provide medical aid to the victim, who was pronounced dead at the hospital,” the affidavit said. “Arturo Gamboa was acting under circumstances evidencing a depraved indifference to human life, and knowingly engages in conduct that creates a grave risk of death to another individual and thereby causes the death of the other individual.”

In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the Salt Lake City Police Department said it’s investigating the involvement of the “peacekeepers,” as well as other aspects of the protests’s organization and staffing.

“At this time, it remains unclear whether these individuals were hired by or volunteered for the event organizers, or acted on their own initiative,” Salt Lake City Police spokesperson Brent Weisberg said.

Who organized the protest and what do they know about the ‘peacekeepers’?

The “No Kings” protest was organized by a Utah chapter of the 50501 Movement, a grassroots group that organizes rallies to protest actions by President Donald Trump and his administration.

Utah News Dispatch emailed a list of questions to both national and local organizers asking about the role of “peacekeepers” during the event, how many were in Salt Lake City, how they were vetted, if at all, and whether they had qualifications or training to be acting as armed security during the protest. Those questions, and requests for comment, were not immediately returned Monday.

However, in a Sunday post on the national 50501’s Facebook page, the group said, “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.”

“It is clear we do not have a complete understanding of what happened yet,” the group said. “What is certain is that, if no guns were present at this protest, this tragedy would have been prevented altogether.”

The group added that “our hearts are with (Ah Loo’s) family and community during this time of unimaginable loss and grief.”

Sarah Parker, a national coordinator with the 50501 Movement, also described the event’s “peacekeepers” as volunteers who helped direct the march and were responsible for keeping attendees safe, The New York Times reported. She also estimated that 15 to 20 such volunteers were at the protest in Salt Lake City, according to the Times.

Volunteer peacekeeping teams are common for protests, Parker told the Associated Press. But she said organizers typically ask attendees, including peacekeepers, not to bring weapons. Still, she said she believed they likely stopped what could have been a larger mass shooting.

“Our safety team did as best as they could in a situation that is extremely sad and extremely scary,” Parker said.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, the Utah chapter of the 50501 movement thanked Utahns for their “outpouring of support for the victim’s family.” It also addressed criticism that the group had disclosed the victim had died before Salt Lake City police released that information to the media, saying “our team was directly involved.”

“Some of you seem to think a keyboard and social media give you a free pass to be nasty and accusatory,” the Facebook post said. “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.”

Salt Lake City police’s ongoing investigation includes ‘peacekeeper’ role

In a lengthy statement Monday as questions and criticism swirled around the “peacekeepers” and their role, Weisberg said the term was first used in a probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Gamboa and later appeared in a news release Sunday, “reflecting how one of the men questioned self-described as a ‘peacekeeper’ during interviews with SLCPD detectives in the early stages of the investigation.”

“The SLCPD will be learning more, through its investigation, about the event staffing during this event, including the roles, responsibilities, and terminology of individuals who may have been assisting during the event,” Weisberg said.

He added that the term “peacekeeper” does not “represent any formal designation recognized by the Salt Lake City Police Department or the City.” And he said there is “no information, at this time, about whether this is an official term used by the event organizers.”

“There is no record in the event’s permit indicating the presence of organized or armed security,” he said. “Based on the information currently available to the Salt Lake City Police Department, neither of the men identified as ‘peacekeepers’ are current or former members of law enforcement, including the Salt Lake City Police Department.”

Earlier Monday, Utah News Dispatch submitted a list of questions to the Salt Lake City Police Department asking to what extent, if any, the Salt Lake City Police Department had coordinated with event organizers or teams acting as security. The Dispatch also asked whether Salt Lake police officers were aware of “peacekeepers” concealing or carrying firearms and if they were investigating their qualifications to be acting as security.

“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.”

However, Weisberg said the Salt Lake City Police Department’s public order unit and its police liaison officers “worked with event organizers prior to and during Saturday’s event to coordinate with the goal of having a peaceful and lawful demonstration.”

“The Salt Lake City Police Department does not direct or manage security roles and responsibilities unless that requirement is outlined in the event’s approved permit, of which it was not,” Weisberg said.

Charges not yet filed

The case remains under investigation. Charges, as of Monday afternoon, had not been filed against Gamboa or anyone else involved in the shooting.

The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office declined to say whether prosecutors are considering filing any charges against the “peacekeepers” who were involved in the shooting.

“As this continues to be an active investigation, any comment at this time would be inappropriate,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said in a prepared statement.

Utah gun laws

Utah is a “constitutional carry” state, which means it allows 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 the carrying of 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.”

No information has been released about the “peacekeepers,” including how old they are and whether they were legally able to carry and conceal firearms.

“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.

In the wake of Saturday’s shooting — as well as a shooting the following day at WestFest, a carnival in West Valley City, that left three dead, including an 8-month-old baby — gun control advocates called for change.

“From marching in our communities, to attending carnivals, the recent tragedies in our state makes it clear we are not safe until our state addresses our gun violence crisis,” said Jaden Christensen, a Utah chapter leader of Moms Demand Action. “This is not freedom, it’s a failure of leadership. The gun violence we’re seeing across our state and country should be a blaring alarm for lawmakers: it’s time to act with the urgency this moment demands. Enough is enough.”

Utah House Democrats also issued a statement called the shootings in Utah — along with the slayings of lawmakers in Minnesota — “heartbreaking, but unfortunately, not surprising.”

“The conditions for this kind of violence have been building for years, driven by a toxic combination of hateful rhetoric and easy access to firearms,” Utah House Democratic leadership said. “That rhetoric, often amplified by leaders at the local, state, and federal levels, has created an environment that often leads to violence.”

They added that their Republican colleagues “insist that ‘guns don’t kill people — people kill people.’ Yet many of those same leaders use their platforms to target marginalized communities, spread misinformation, and stoke division.”

“We urge all elected officials to reflect on the impact of their words and how they contribute to the dangerous climate we face today,” they said. “As a caucus, we remain committed to advancing policies that reduce gun violence, promote accountability, and protect the safety and dignity of every Utahn. We call on others to join us in that commitment.”

Utah News Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.