Organizers of the Salt Lake City “No Kings” protest that ended with a deadly shooting were told that having a team of “peacekeepers” at the demonstration was a “bad idea,” Gov. Spencer Cox said Thursday.
At his monthly news conference, Cox said members of the state Department of Public Safety warned “No Kings” organizers of the risks of using a volunteer safety team “when they first started doing this.”
“That was an absolute tragedy,” Cox told reporters. “I can tell you that they were they were warned months and months and months ago that it was a bad idea to have these peacekeepers be a part of what they were attempting to do, and that it could lead to something tragic like this. And sadly, it did.”
Asked to clarify, Cox said DPS had an initial conversation about armed security at protests with the “No Kings” protest organizers ahead of previous events organized by the same group.
“Our DPS said, ‘It’s a bad idea. You can do it. It’s not illegal. There’s nothing illegal about it. It’s just a bad idea.’ They said, ‘Well, we think it’s a good idea,’” Cox said.
Asked who he believed was responsible for the death of 39-year-old protester Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, who both police and organizers have said was an innocent bystander peacefully protesting, Cox said he didn’t know, but that he thought “a lot of people are responsible for what happened.”
“The district attorney will eventually make that decision,” he said. “[There were] a lot of good people who made mistakes, and it’s a tragedy.”
Cox added, “My heart goes out to [Ah Loo’s] family. I think, again, mistakes were made by the organizers, by the peacekeepers [and] by the protester who brought his rifle. Lots of mistakes.”
[READ: Investigation into Salt Lake City’s ‘No Kings’ shooting is in the DA’s hands now]
More than a month after the shooting, few clear details have emerged about who was behind the protest.
The city’s permit for the protest lists the applicant as Michael Andaman, but little information about him exists online. The company listed on the application was registered in Wyoming, a safe haven for corporate secrecy. While the city did not vet Andaman’s identity, the city’s permit manager called the number listed on the application and said he spoke with a man.
The name of the event was listed as Utah 50501 National Day of Protest on the application. Organizers have not responded to request for comment sent to emails and social media accounts associated with Utah 50501. The national 50501 organization also cut ties with the local branch five days after the shooting. National organizers have also not responded to request for comment.
Previous city communications and permits for Utah 50501 events, acquired by The Salt Lake Tribune through a public records request, list two different organizers who were not Andaman. The Tribune is not naming the two organizers since they were not named on the June 14 permit, have not been formally accused of wrongdoing and neither has responded to requests for comment.
City communications about a Utah 50501 event held in March stated that the organization would have individuals on-site to provide medical assistance and “de-escalation” skills, but did not mention if the individuals would be armed.
Thousands turned out to the June 14 protest against President Donald Trump, but attendees scattered when three gunshots were fired just before 8 p.m. A member of the event’s volunteer peacekeeping team was later identified as the shooter, Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd said, and the volunteer allegedly fired his weapon after he confronted a man he saw carrying an assault-style rifle.
One bullet injured the man with the rifle, later identified as 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa. But another bullet struck Ah Loo, who later died.
Gamboa, who did not fire his weapon, was initially taken into custody but was later released. Police have not identified the shooter and have not accused him of wrongdoing.
Twenty-six states across the U.S. have laws on the books banning long guns, like the AR-15 style rifle Gamboa carried, at state capitols and/or public demonstrations. Asked whether he thought Utah should consider a similar ban Thursday, Cox said no.
“I’m a big believer in the Second Amendment,” he said. “I don’t think that’s something that we should consider, but I hope people will just be smart and responsible.”
Salt Lake City police formally submitted their investigation of the shooting to prosecutors on July 2.
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s office is still investigating the shooting, and no charges have been filed.