While Gamboa did not fire the shot that took the life of 39-year-old Arthur Ah Loo, police say his armed and threatening behavior sparked the confrontation, says the Salt Lake Tribune.
Witnesses say Gamboa appeared at the protest wearing a gas mask and carrying an AR-15-style rifle in a backpack. He allegedly emerged from behind a wall and began running toward the crowd with the rifle raised.
A designated “peacekeeper” at the event, wearing a high-visibility vest, opened fire with a handgun—striking Gamboa and inadvertently hitting Ah Loo. The victim was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. Gamboa sustained a minor wound, was treated, and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on murder charges. The peacekeeper who fired the shots is cooperating with authorities.
Police have not said whether Gamboa intended to open fire, but note his actions incited the chain of events that ended in tragedy.
A Facebook page with the same name shows radical left-wing ideology. In a June 2020 Facebook post, Gamboa reshared a pro-Antifa message that read: “Antifa means anti-fascist. If you are anti-antifa then you are pro-fascist... If you support Trump, you support a fascist. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.”
That same day, Gamboa posted a call to reject the democratic process, writing: “Quit playing the electoral game. They use their two-faced tricks to pacify us. Justice must be taken into the hands of the people, by any means necessary.”
Playing as a drummer in the leftist punk band Rade, Gamboa grew up LDS in Utah with a Venezuelan immigrant father. In an interview with Slug Mag, he said his experiences led him to see the US system as inherently oppressive.
“It’s not fundamentally broken—it’s perfect,” he said. “This is exactly how the system is meant to function. The American system is a steam train that’s always been fueled by black and brown bodies.”
Gamboa was an active supporter of Black Lives Matter during the 2020 riots, according to posts from the account, which saw violent riots across the country that caused billions in damages. His band’s lyrics and public statements frequently echoed anti-capitalist, anti-police, and revolutionary themes.
The “No Kings” protest, where the shooting occurred, had organized security in the form of “peacekeepers." Salt Lake police were aware of the setup in advance.
The peacekeeper in the high visibility vest- who fired the 3 shots is cooperating with the police, SLCPD Chief Brian Redd said.
