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Man arrested in connection with shooting during ‘No Kings’ protest released from jail

By Katie McKellar - Utah News Dispatch | Jun 20, 2025

Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch

A man receives medical attention after being taken into police custody after a shooting at the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, June 14, 2025.

Arturo Gamboa, a 24-year-old man who was arrested after a chaotic shooting at the “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday, has been released from jail.

Third District Court Judge James Blanch signed an order on Friday directing Gamboa to be released from the Salt Lake County Jail, where he’s been held since Saturday night, with conditions agreed to through his attorney, Greg Skordas.

Those conditions, according to the order, are that Gamboa “maintain residence” with his father and provide address and contact information to Utah Pretrial Services officials, that he not possess any firearms, that he turn in his passport to his attorney, and follow certain other conditions with pretrial services officials, who provide supervision for defendants. That includes staying in touch with his lawyer and calling a recorded line once a day.

“We’re happy to have this behind us,” Skordas said in a text to Utah News Dispatch on Friday. “He should have never been in jail in the first place. We firmly believe Arturo committed no crimes.”

According to Salt Lake City police, the shooting during the protest happened after two men described as “peacekeepers” confronted Gamboa, who was openly carrying an AR-15 style rifle. One of the men, reportedly part of the event’s volunteer 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.

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.

As of Friday, Salt Lake County prosecutors had not filed charges against Gamboa or anyone else involved in the shooting.

Skordas said the rifle Gamboa was carrying during the protest was not loaded.

“All of the evidence confirms that he was lawfully and openly carrying an unloaded firearm on a public road,” Skordas said. “He never brandished it, never fired it and never pointed it in the direction of anyone. He was shot in the back by a person who needlessly shot two innocent men, killing one.”

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 told officers 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.”

But in the days since Gamboa’s arrest, videos have circulated online raising questions about whether Gamboa had actually raised the rifle in a firing position and charged the crowd, as the “peacekeeper” told police. One angle, reported by FOX 13, showed Gamboa with his rifle aimed down and not running until after one of the security volunteers started shooting.

The order to release Gamboa came after the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office’s homicide team conducted a preliminary review of evidence on Friday. After that review, “it was determined that we will not be able to make an informed decision” by their deadline on Monday “as to the culpability, if any” of Gamboa in relation to the shooting Saturday, the District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

“The investigation will continue to be carried out by the Salt Lake City Police Department,” the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said. “The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office will continue to review as additional evidence is presented to us.”

The Salt Lake City Police Department issued a statement Friday saying its homicide squad “presented their initial findings from the ongoing investigation” into the shooting to the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office for legal review.

“This process, known as a case screening, is a key step in any criminal investigation,” the department said. “It serves to analyze legal issues, identify investigative needs, and ensures the matter is prepared for prosecution evaluation, all while detectives continue to investigate.”

Salt Lake City police urged anyone with information on the case, including video, to “come forward.” Digital evidence can be submitted through the department’s public evidence portal. Or, they said witnesses can speak with an officer by calling 801-799-3000.

The department declined to release any further information regarding the screening or any additional comment on the material that’s been gathered to “protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”

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