SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) — A person is dead after they were struck by crossfire during an incident at a “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday, police have confirmed.
Salt Lake City police officers responded to the area of 151 South State Street just before 8 p.m. after hearing gunshots. Officers found one person with a gunshot wound. The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and their injuries were considered life-threatening, police said Saturday.
During a press conference Sunday, authorities confirmed the victim, a 39-year-old man, has died.
Police said Sunday that a person acting as security fired at another man, Arturo Gamboa, who witnesses said had an AR-15 at the protest. He was hit once by gunfire and taken into custody.
The 39-year-old man who died was caught in the crossfire, according to police.
A camera operated by the Utah Department of Transportation appeared to capture the moment of the shooting. In the video below, which has no audio, people can be seen walking through downtown Salt Lake City carrying signs.
Two people, including one wearing a bright yellow vest, can be seen running from the bottom left corner of the video north along South State Street as the crowd disperses away from the area.
As some members of the crowd slowly return to the area, a Salt Lake City police squad pulls into the intersection with its lights on. Another police vehicle then passes the squad while traveling north on South State Street. The video ends after the driver of the truck seems to speak with a person in the street before traveling northward.
A crew from Nexstar’s KTVX saw a person believed to have been injured in the shooting being treated on scene.
Salt Lake City Police initially believed the shooting involved four people in total. After getting information from witnesses, police pursued one of the suspects and took them into custody near 200 East 100 South.
In total, three people were taken into custody, including a man believed to be the shooter, who also suffered a gunshot wound, according to Police Chief Brian Redd. Additional details were not available Sunday.
Officials advised there are no other suspects outstanding and there is no current threat to the community. The motive of the shooting and the events leading to it are still under investigation.
Utah leaders react
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called the shooting, as well as “violence… elsewhere in the country,” horrific.
“We deserve to feel safe, especially when exercising our First Amendment rights,” the statement continued. “Thank you to the Salt Lake City Police Department for their quick action tonight to protect lives and support those marching peacefully. My heart is with you, SLC. We’ll get through this.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox shared similar sentiments.
“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.”
Sunday’s protest in Salt Lake City was part of the “No Kings” movement, with other protests held nationwide set to coincide with the planned celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.