The volunteer, tasked with security for the march and later identified as Matt Alder, saw Gamboa assembling a legally owned, legally carried AR-15-style rifle near the march in downtown Salt Lake City on June 14. Alarmed, Alder called for another volunteer security guard before drawing a concealed handgun. As Gamboa tried to rejoin the march, Alder opened fire, hitting Gamboa and killing Ah Loo.

Immediately after the shooting, police arrested Gamboa on a murder charge. The arresting officer claimed that Gamboa’s actions had created the situation that caused Alder to fear for his life and the lives of others, prompting Alder to open fire.

As a result Gamboa was blamed for Ah Loo’s death for having “acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engag[ing] in conduct that created a grave risk of death and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member,” according to a police statement.

Gamboa was held without bail for five days under suspicion of committing a violent felony. Police briefly detained Alder but did not take him into custody.

  • cheesybuddha@lemmy.world
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    5 days ago

    No, either Americans have the right to wield guns, in which case y’all need to just accept that and realize that assembling a gun during a protest is legal and therefore not suspicious Or, y’all need to realize that your gun laws and culture are incompatible with modern society, and do something to change them.

    • Archangel1313@lemmy.ca
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      5 days ago

      There’s a massive difference between a "protest’, and an armed confrontation with police. One is a display of solidarity in the face of violence…and the other is simply asking for it.