Former reality TV contestant shot and killed at No Kings protest by 'peacekeeper,' police say



A Utah man was killed during a No Kings protest after he was inadvertently shot at a demonstration in downtown Salt Lake City, according to police.

Around 7:56 p.m. on Saturday, a sergeant with the Salt Lake City Police Department Motor Squad reported hearing gunfire at the demonstration that drew approximately 10,000 protesters, according to a statement from the Salt Lake City Police Department.

'The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square.'

"As panic spread throughout the area, hundreds of people ran for safety, hiding in parking garages, behind barriers, and going into nearby businesses," the Salt Lake City Police Department stated.

Officers and two Salt Lake City Police Department SWAT team members — who are also Salt Lake City Fire paramedics — located a man suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately conducted lifesaving measures.

The shooting victim was rushed to a local hospital, but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Police identified the shooting victim as Arthur Folasa Ah Loo. Authorities said Loo had been an "innocent bystander who was not the intended target of the gunfire."

RELATED: Over 98% of Americans ignore No Kings' tired tantrum

Just minutes after the shooting, people at the No Kings protest flagged down police officers. The officers found 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa armed and dressed in black, wearing a black mask as he was "crouching among a group of people with a gunshot wound."

People at the protest informed police officers that there was a firearm near where Gamboa was crouching, which was described as an "AR-15-style rifle."

Two men, identified as peacekeeping members at the demonstration, informed officers that Gamboa was acting in a "suspicious" manner before the shooting.

The peacekeepers told police that they "saw Gamboa move away from the crowd and move into a secluded area behind a wall — behavior they found suspicious."

"One of the peacekeepers told detectives he saw Gamboa pull out an AR-15-style rifle from a backpack and begin manipulating it," according to the Salt Lake City Police Department.

The peacekeepers reportedly drew their guns and ordered Gamboa to drop his firearm.

Witnesses at the protest claimed that Gamboa disregarded the orders and lifted his rifle, then began running toward the crowd while "holding the weapon in a firing position."

One of the peacekeepers allegedly responded by firing three gunshots toward Gamboa, who was hit by gunfire. However, police said that one of the rounds struck Loo.

The peacekeepers immediately attempted to provide aid to Loo, according to the press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Police said Gamboa was transported to the hospital.

Gamboa was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail. He was charged with murder.

RELATED: From 'F**k Trump' to handshakes: 'No Kings' rally in Texas stays civil

Police stated, "Detectives have developed probable cause that Gamboa acted under circumstances that showed a depraved indifference to human life, knowingly engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death, and ultimately caused the death of an innocent community member."

Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said, "Our detectives are now working to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. We will not allow this individual act to create fear in our community."

Redd added, "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident."

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) wrote on the X social media platform, "The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square. This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability."

According to KSL, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall (D) said, "The purpose of today's demonstration was a powerful and peaceful expression until this event, and that cannot be overshadowed or silenced by a single act meant to harm. I want to urge everyone in the public to be calm, to give one another grace, and to look out for one another tonight in the coming days."

KSL reported that Loo was a "widely-known and accomplished fashion designer" who appeared on the 17th season of the "Project Runway" reality TV show.

Loo — who was born and grew up in Samoa — is survived by his wife.

The Salt Lake City Police Department said the investigation into the deadly shooting is ongoing.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is urging anyone who took photos and videos at the crime scene to submit possible evidence here.

You can watch the press conference from the Salt Lake Police Department on the deadly No Kings protest shooting below.

RELATED: Leftist No Kings event in Arizona draws older crowd with patriotic symbols

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LGBT activists find devious way to hoist their colors despite flag bans in Salt Lake City, Boise



Months after the Trump administration announced that "only the United States of America flag is authorized to be flown or displayed at U.S. facilities, both domestic and abroad," Republican lawmakers in Idaho and Utah passed restrictions on which flags could be flown at state government buildings and at schools.

While the laws prohibit virtually all nonofficial flags, irrespective of political persuasion and significance, leftists raged over their potential inability to continue hoisting sex- and race-themed flags over American soil, flaunting the success of their cultural imperialism.

Democratic mayors in Boise and Salt Lake City have apparently found a way to continue flying non-straight activists' colors without having to continue directly violating the law: adopt the LGBT flags as official city emblems or incorporate their elements into official flags.

'Clear waste of time and taxpayer resources.'

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall proposed adopting three new city flags "in addition to the traditional Sego Lily Flag, on Tuesday to most accurately reflect the values of the City and its residents."

Salt Lake City Mayor's Office

According to Mendenhall's office, the first flag would represent the city's transvestite population "and a commitment to seeing and celebrating their lives"; the second would represent the city's non-straight residents "and broader acceptance of this community"; and the third would represent the "history of Juneteenth and the City’s Black and African American residents."

"Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City's values," said Mendenhall. "I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity and inclusion — leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together."

Salt Lake City council unanimously approved the designs on Tuesday evening, reported the Associated Press.

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz (R) characterized the devious workaround as a "clear waste of time and taxpayer resources."

'You're a bunch of fricking commies breaking the law.'

"This law is about keeping government spaces neutral and welcoming to all," said Schultz. "Salt Lake City should focus on real issues, not political theatrics."

Blaze News previously reported that the Boise City Council put making the Progress Pride flag an official city flag to a vote Tuesday evening, one week after Boise Mayor Lauren McLean suggested to state Attorney General Raul Labrador that the flag ban was "legally defective and unenforceable as written."

The council ultimately voted 5 to 1.

According to Boise State Public Radio, one opponent of the measure yelled, "You're a bunch of fricking commies breaking the law," adding, "You think gay people are the only people who are entitled to anything?"

The lone vote against the resolution came from Council Member Luci Willits, who emphasized that her role as an elected official was to follow the law and suggested that the "legislature will come in, and it will slap a huge fine on the city of Boise, and Boise will have to pay it."

"That will limit what we can spend on things that we have control over, like police and fire and libraries and parks and all the things that make Boise what it is today," added Willits.

"Removing the flag now after years of flying it proudly would not be a neutral act," said Council Member Meredith Stead. "It would signal a retreat from values we've long upheld and send a disheartening message to those who have found affirmation and belonging through its presence at city hall."

Mendenhall and McLean apparently spoke Tuesday morning to discuss their respective plots to undermine their states' legislatures and fly the activist colors.

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'Sanctuary city' Denver sends illegal aliens to Utah: 'Completely unacceptable'



Denver, Colorado, a self-proclaimed "sanctuary city," has been sending illegal immigrants to Salt Lake City, Utah, according to a recent KUTV report.

Jon Ewing, with Denver Human Services, told the news outlet that illegal aliens arriving in the Colorado city are being bused and, in some cases, flown to other states across the nation.

'Fix this untenable situation.'

According to Ewing, individuals are not encouraged to relocate to any particular city or state but are provided with transportation services to continue to their destination of choice.

"Any individual who travels through our system makes their own decision on their destination," Ewing told KUTV. "We are simply helping people connect with family, friends, or existing support systems."

Ewing reported that Denver has provided roughly 2,000 bus tickets since late 2022 to send illegal aliens to Salt Lake City. He insisted that critics' claims that the city was moving a "problem" to Utah is "a misunderstanding of the situation and of people's needs." Ewing further noted that Denver is in "regular communication" with the cities where the illegal aliens are being relocated. He added that Denver plans to continue sending the individuals elsewhere.

"Again, it's at their request. We will never encourage anyone to go to Salt Lake City. We will never point a finger at a map and tell someone where they should go," Ewing claimed.

A spokesperson for Denver's mayor's office told KDVR, "The vast majority of newcomers arriving in Denver do so on buses chartered from Texas and had no intention of ever coming to Denver. That's why part of our operations include purchasing tickets for newcomers to get to their desired location, where they may have support networks or job opportunities."

Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown stated that the illegal immigrants arrive "with very little information other than instructions to find a person in uniform to help."

Andrew Roberts, chief of staff for Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson, told KUTV that the city lacks the resources to "absorb" the uptick in illegal aliens arriving in the area.

"I have, myself, communicated our displeasure," Roberts said, referring to Denver sending illegal aliens to Salt Lake City.

A spokesman for the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office also noted that the office has expressed concerns regarding Denver's actions.

Utah officials recently approved a flyer that states in Spanish that the city has "no space available in shelters," KUTV reported.

"Food banks and other basic needs services are at capacity. If you do not have a secure and stable connection or family in Utah, consider another state to settle in the US," the flyer read, according to the news outlet.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's (R) office stated, "Now, with this bulletin, we're communicating directly with those illegally crossing the border."

In a Friday statement on X, Cox wrote, "We recently learned that the Democrat mayor of Denver has been sending illegal immigrants to Utah without proper notification or approval. This is completely unacceptable and follows on the failed catch-and-release policy of the Biden administration. Every state has received illegal immigrants and Utah's resources are completely depleted. All 50 states, including Utah, are now border states due to the failed immigration policies of President Biden and Congress. Once again we call on the Biden administration and Congress to solve this crisis."

Jennifer Naipier-Pearce, senior advisor of communications for the governor's office, told KDVR, "Since learning of Denver's policy, we've worked with Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City to push back on the Department of Homeland Security, the city of Denver, the state of Colorado and the Biden administration demanding they immediately stop this practice. We've also worked with Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County to communicate to migrants, NGOs along the southern border, and other cities including Denver that we are unable to provide services to these illegal immigrants. Denver must end this practice and Congress and the president must do their job and fix this untenable situation."

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Man allegedly robs bank of $1 with goal of going to federal prison



Authorities with the Salt Lake City Police Department recently arrested a man after he allegedly robbed a bank of $1 with the goal of getting arrested and going to federal prison.

The strange scenario unfolded on Monday in Utah when 65-year-old Donald Santacroce went into a Wells Fargo and presented a note demanding the money, KSL.com reported, citing a police booking affidavit: "Please pardon me for doing this but this is a robbery. Please give me $1. Thank you," the note reportedly read.

The money was forked over and Santacroce was asked to depart, but the man told the teller to contact the police, the affidavit indicates, according to the outlet. While waiting for authorities, Santacroce made a comment to the victims suggesting that they were lucky he did not have a firearm because it was taking authorities so long to arrive. "At this point the branch manager said she ushered all of her employees into a back room for their safety where she locked the doors," the affidavit indicates, according to the outlet.

Santacroce's wish was ultimately granted: Authorities arrested him. "Officers booked Santacroce into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on one count of robbery," according to a Salt Lake City Police Department press release.

"Donald said he had done this because he wanted to get arrested and go to federal prison. Donald stated that if he gets out of jail, he will rob another bank and ask for more money next time trying to get the desired result of going to federal prison," the arrest report notes, according to KSL.com.

The outlet reported that Utah Highway Patrol had recently arrested the individual for investigation of DUI and careless driving and that authorities had indicated that the man had been driving with a license which had been suspended out of Missouri.

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Little girl dances at all-ages drag show in Utah, collects cash from cheering crowd — and intense backlash against show sparks war of words



Videos showing a little girl dancing at an all-ages drag show in Salt Lake City and collecting cash from cheering audience members has drawn intense online backlash from detractors — and now the owner of the venue that hosts the show, the drag queen who produces it, and the dancing girl's father are fighting back, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

What are the details?

Tea Zaanti, a tea and wine cafe, hosts the “Bes-Teas" drag show on the third Friday of every month, the Tribune said, adding that Tara Lipsyncki — a Utah drag queen — produces the event to be family-friendly; there's no swearing, and it features Disney songs.

Lipsyncki told the paper the all-ages show is meant to demonstrate that “a child can be who a child wants to be" and can be "loved unconditionally.”

During the Aug. 19 show, August Wachter’s daughter began dancing to the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno" from the Disney movie “Encanto" and later held a drag queen's hand and collected tips from the crowd, the Tribune reported.

Six days later, Tea Zaanti — with the Wachters' permission — posted two clips from the show on social media, the paper said.

What happened next?

Libs of TikTok picked up the video, and then Tea Zaanti was hit with “an endless barrage of harassment” and negative comments, Scott Lyttle, who owns the shop with his wife, Becky, told the Tribune:

  • “Evil people are doing the devil’s work here,” one Yelp commenter from Florida wrote, according the paper.
  • “That is just plain child abuse,” said another from Texas, the Tribune said.
  • “Maybe the people who make decisions here are all about abusing children for their pleasure,” wrote a commenter from Arizona, the paper said.

Lyttle added to the Tribune that they've been called groomers and disgusting perverts and even likened to Jeffery Epstein.

“It’s a mess,” Lyttle told the paper. “Most of these people aren’t even from Utah.”

Yelp temporarily disabled posting to Tea Zaanti’s page, citing “increased public attention, which often means people come to this page to post their views on the news," the Tribune reported.

Lyttle told the paper that the cafe’s Google rating dropped from 4.9 stars (out of five) to 4.7 stars in a matter of hours; and while Google deleted one-star comments that included harassing language, one-star reviews without comments are not immediately removed.

Wachter noted to the Tribune that he's angry about the threats and accusations that his daughter was being sexualized by dancing with drag queens.

“Nobody in that crowd, on that stage, was sexualizing things,” Wachter told the paper.

Lyttle added to the Tribune that Wachter's daughter “got so inspired she ran up to the stage and started dancing. The crowd loved it.”

Lipsyncki agreed with Lyttle and added to the paper that the drag queen was “dancing innocently with a kid.”

Wachter shared with the Tribune that his daughter suffers from anxiety but has always found an outlet in dance: “The fact that she was able to get up there with total strangers, be brave enough to do her thing, it was heartening for us."

Wachter added to the paper that he's shocked that Instagram lets the Libs of TikTok account remain active considering the comments left on the video — such as suggestions that his daughter be taken away.

“The actual grooming that’s happening is on the other side, where all these people are grooming their kids to hate other people because of how they dress and who they love,” Watcher told the Tribune. “As parents, we’re trying to raise our kids to be good, respectful human beings for everyone around them.”

'A deep hatred'

Lipsyncki told the paper that members of the region's conservative culture hold "a deep hatred" for "the LGBTQIA community, and anyone that’s different because we are, in their mind, infiltrating their safe space.”

“We’ve always been here," Lipsyncki also told the Tribune. "Utah isn’t the super red state it was even 10 years ago. It’s changing and these people are just trying to hold onto this idea of what they want Utah to be and what they want their children to be a part of.”

Lipsyncki added to the paper that the all-ages drag shows will continue, even if security has to be added.

“What is the true issue? Why are you scared of this drag performance? What is your core issue? Is it that you do not believe in homosexuality and think it’s a sin?” Lipsyncki asked, according to the Tribune. “OK, that’s fine. Then don’t come to the show. I don’t go to your church and protest.”

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Pacific Islander advocate fighting for her life after contracting flesh-eating bacteria from 15 spider bites



A Utah woman is currently in a hospital fighting for her life after she contracted a flesh-eating bacteria from a series of spider bites she got while on a recent fishing trip.

Susi Feltch-Malohifo'ou, a 59-year-old woman and a nationally recognized advocate for the Pacific Islander community, recently went on a fishing trip to Mirror Lake, about an hour and a half east of Salt Lake City. Shortly after she returned, she became ill.

"When she woke up Sunday morning, she had a headache, a fever, and was in some pain," her son, Adrian Swensen, told reporters. "Those symptoms progressed to the point that we decided she needed to see her doctor."

At the hospital, Feltch-Malohifo'ou tested negative for COVID and the flu, so doctors gave her two shots and some prescription medicine and sent her home.

But she grew worse.

When Feltch-Malohifo'ou returned to the hospital a second time, doctors discovered that she had 15 spider bites on her body and that at least seven of them had become infected with a flesh-eating bacteria. Because of the damage caused by the bacteria, doctors now believe she is suffering from a condition known as necrotizing fasciitis.

According to the CDC, necrotizing fasciitis occurs when certain bacteria destroy tissue at a rapid pace. If not diagnosed quickly, necrotizing fasciitis can lead to sepsis, shock, and organ failure. Though antibiotics are often administered as quickly as possible once a diagnosis has been made, antibiotics may not be able to contain an infection if the damage has already become too severe.

In instances in which antibiotics are no longer effective, doctors must surgically remove the dead tissue. Such is the case for Feltch-Malohifo'ou. Thus far, she has already undergone six surgeries and has had over 10 pounds of dead tissue removed. And she likely has more procedures in her future, according to the GoFundMe account established to help defray her medical expenses.

"She is very sick," Swensen said. "We are told that if they can get her stable and through all of the removal and cleaning, she will have a very long road of recovery.

"We are people of faith and are in constant prayer that she will be healed and in a timely manner."

Feltch-Malohifo'ou runs a nonprofit called Pacific Islander Knowledge to Action Resources, which aims to highlight the economic impact that Pacific Islanders have in America, to prevent violence in the community, and to preserve Pacific Islander culture. As a result of her activism, Feltch-Malohifo'ou won the FBI's Director's Community Leadership Award for Utah in 2018 and was listed on the Forbes "50 over 50" list of 2021.

Video: Dim-witted gas thief pays for his misdeed, catches fire after drilling hole in truck's tank



A would-be gas thief paid dearly for his misdeed over the weekend, catching fire as he drilled a hole in a truck's gas tank at a Salt Lake City business.

It all was caught on surveillance video in broad daylight Saturday morning, KSL-TV reported — fittingly at Summit Fire & Security.

What are the details?

Video shows the crook underneath a work truck on the side where the gas tank is located, the station said, adding that a white pickup truck is parked next to the work truck.

Suddenly the thief pops up with his shirt on fire and emerges in front of both trucks, rolling on the surface of the parking lot in an attempt to extinguish the flames.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

The guy rolled about 10 times before the flames were out, after which he ditched his charred shirt and ran into the white pickup truck that the driver drove forward to pick him up.

The below screenshot shows what appears to be a red gas container left behind under the truck, as smoke billows from the bottom — and the hapless would-be thief about to remove his shirt:

Image source: YouTube screenshot

“Some people try to take the easy way out of everything,” Branch Manager Travis Mills told KSL as the surveillance clip ran.

Mills added to the station that the crook "tried to siphon gas out of it, and he wasn’t getting the siphon to work. So he decided to drill the gas tank, and that’s when he caught on fire.”

He added to KSL that "the reason why he’s fleeing is that, if there were more gas in it than a gallon, this thing would have absolutely turned into a bomb. It’s sad because times are tough for a lot of people, but it’s not worth the $5 that he would have saved for the the injury that the guy sustained.”

In addition, the company has suffered multiple catalytic converter thefts and smash-and-grab thefts in recent years, the station said.

The outfit even installed a $30,000 security system prior to Saturday's incident, KSL reported: “It’s been expensive,” Mills added to the station.

Now, the attempted gas theft is setting them back financially even more.

The truck is now off the road due to its damaged gas tank, KSL said, and replacing the tank will be costly — if a replacement tank can be found.

“Horrendous expense,” Mills added to the station. “We have downtime with our guys, immediately."

Anything else?

Tony Allred, division chief for the Salt Lake City Fire Marshal told KSL "given the gas prices in the valley and nationwide, we are seeing an increase in gas theft."

Allred added to the station that "drilling into a tank is extraordinarily dangerous,” as the drill, drill bit, or even static electricity could spark an explosion.

Thieves caught on camera drilling into gas tanksyoutu.be