Understanding Utah gun laws after deadly Salt Lake City protest shooting

SALT LAKE CITY — As investigators piece together the events that led to the deadly shooting at Saturday’s protest in Salt Lake City, they’re looking at the actions of two armed citizens.

The first is a man in jail who carried a rifle but didn’t pull the trigger. The second is a man who did fire his gun and killed an innocent bystander and later identified himself to officers as a peacekeeper, according to Salt Lake City police.

There are many unanswered questions about the actions both men, what happened Saturday, and who is responsible for the death Afa Ah Loo, a beloved husband and father.

Experts KSL spoke with aligned on this: Utahns have a right to carry guns — openly or concealed — even at a protest. But they’re also responsible for what happens when they discharge those weapons.

Utah law allows a person to use deadly force in self-defense or the defense of others. But there’s more to consider, said KSL legal analyst Greg Skordas. The armed citizen who fired shots Saturday could be legally liable for the death of an innocent person, Skordas said.

“The peacekeeper, under the facts as we understand them, are certainly liable both civilly and criminally. They don’t enjoy immunity like a police officer would,” Skordas said.

Bill Pedersen, director of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, agreed that the alleged peacekeeper could be civilly liable. He said a person’s Second Amendment rights come with responsibility.

“We talk about that we are responsible for every shot that comes out of our gun,” Pedersen said.

Pedersen emphasized that bringing a gun to the protest on its own isn’t a crime.

“Under the gun rights, there’s no right or wrong firearm to carry,” Pedersen said. “I have the right to carry an AR-15 down the street as I do a handgun.”

Salt Lake City police said witnesses reported the man pointed the gun and charged toward the crowd.

As for the shooter who identified himself as a peacekeeper, police are protecting his identity while they continue to investigate his involvement and ties to protest organizers.

Salt Lake City police said Monday the term “peacekeeper” isn’t a formal designation they recognize and there’s no record in the protest organizers’ event permit “indicating the presence of organized or armed security.”

Skordas noted although the rifleman, Arturo Gamboa, did not shoot anyone, he is being held in the Salt Lake County jail for investigation of murder.

“The district attorney’s office has some really difficult criminal questions to answer when they look at these two individuals in deciding what, if anything, to charge them with,” Skordas said.