A former Project Runway contestant passed away over the weekend after being fatally injured during a “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department, Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, who competed on Season 17 of Project Runway in 2019, was shot while participating in the protest and march against President Donald Trump’s immigration policy on Saturday. He was 39.
Law enforcement officials revealed that the shoot began at approximately 7:56 p.m. local time. Gunfire was heard near the city’s 151 South State Street. The noise startled and caused panic within the 10,000-participant crowd.
Officers eventually discovered a man who had been shot and immediately began life-saving efforts. The man, later identified as the former Project Runway contestant, was declared dead after first responders took him to a nearby hospital.
Around 8 p.m., police were flagged down near 102 South 200 East. They found a man among a group of people with a gunshot wound. He was identified as Arturo Gamboa, 24. He was wearing all-black clothing with a matching black mask.
Gamboa was discovered with an AR-15-style rifle. Officers also found a gas mask, black clothing, and a backpack nearby. Paramedics transported Gamboa to a nearby hospital to treat his wounds. He was later arrested on a murder charge.
Law enforcement also detained two men who were wearing highly visible neon green vests and carrying handguns. The men claimed to be part of the event’s peacekeeping team and had shot Gamboa when one of them saw the shooting suspect take his gun out of the backpack and manipulate it.
Preliminary Investigation Reveals Project Runway Contestant Was an Innocent Bystander, Was Not Targeted in the Protest Shooting
The Salt Lake City Police Department further noted that the Project Runway alum was considered an innocent bystander and was not a target in the protest shooting.
“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 he traumatic incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd stated. “When this shooting happened, the response of our officers and detectives was fast, brave, and highly coordinated. It speaks to the caliber of this great department and our law enforcement partners.”
Chief Redd then added, “Our detectives are now working to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident. We will now allow this individual act to create fear in our community.”