Earlier this month, anti-Trump protesters held a 'No Kings' rally in Salt Lake City. Like other 'No Kings' rallies held around the country, the Salt Lake City event was "mostly," "mainly," and " broadly" peaceful.
Unfortunately, two people attending the rally got shot. Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a 39-year-old father of two children, was killed, and Arturo Gamboa, age 24, was wounded.
Gamboa was carrying a rifle when the shooting started, although he didn't fire it. Nevertheless, he was arrested on suspicion of murder.
What the hell happened? According to news reports, an armed "peacekeeper" at the 'No Kings' event saw Gamboa with the rifle, considered him to be a threat, and shot at him. Gamboa was wounded, but Mr. Ah Loo, an innocent bystander, was killed by an errant bullet.
Gamboa was later released from jail after prosecutors said that they couldn't determine whether to file charges until they had evaluated more evidence. According to some reports, Gamboa's rifle was not loaded, and Gamboa did not point the weapon at anyone.
What can we learn from this senseless tragedy? Two things.
First, people organizing mass rallies who feel the need for armed security should only hire bonded, licensed, and insured professionals who are trained in the use of firearms.
Second, event organizers should purchase liability insurance. It seems likely that Mr. Ah Loo's family will file a lawsuit against the 'No Kings' organization.
Third, no one attending a mass rally should openly carry a firearm, whether or not the weapon is loaded.
Several states now permit adults to openly carry firearms without requiring them to take a gun safety course. Utah is one of those states.
Open Carry laws are bad public policy. If no one at Salt Lake City's 'No Kings' event had been carrying a gun, Mr. Ah Loo's children would still have a father.
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| Arturo Gamboa Photo credit: Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News |