“Project Runway designer killed in Utah protest as innocent bystander”

An individual, described as a fashion designer and a participant in the television show “Project Runway,” was tragically killed over the weekend while attending a protest called “No Kings” in Utah, as confirmed by the police on Sunday.

The victim was identified as Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a Samoan designer who appeared on the hit Bravo show and a married father of two.

The fatal shooting occurred during the protest held on Saturday, with an estimated attendance of approximately 10,000 people. The victim succumbed to his injuries later the same evening, revealed Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd.

“Our victim was not the intended target,” said Redd, who added that Ah Loo, 39, was just participating in the march. 

Following the shooting, the fashion designer, identified as Gamboa, sustained injuries and was reportedly discovered with a rifle and a gas mask in his bag. Emergency medical services transported Gamboa to the hospital for treatment. Subsequently, detectives arrested Gamboa and detained him at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on a murder charge.

The victim was shot during the Saturday protest, which attracted around 10,000 people, Salt Lake City Police said. (Salt Lake City Police)

Two SWAT medics performed life-saving care on the victim before he was taken to a hospital, where he later died, police said. The shooter was cooperating with investigators, police said. 

Gamboa, who did not fire a shot, doesn’t have any criminal history, the chief said. 

Ah Loo appeared in Season 17 of “Project Runway” in 2019 and returned for “Project Runway Redemption.” He also created couture for cast members of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” and was invited by the late Queen Elizabeth II to present his collection at Buckingham Palace during London Fashion Week, the New York Post reported. 

Utah state Rep. Verona Mauga told KSL-TV that she was with Ah Loo hours before he was killed. 

Demonstrators carry signs and chant while marching during a “No Kings” protest, Saturday in Salt Lake City. One protester was mistakenly shot and killed, police said Sunday.  (AP)

“Afa is a person who believed in equity and equality for all people and all communities. He believed that everyone was deserving of basic human rights,” Mauga said. “And that’s why he was there. He was with his community and he was with people he cared about, marching and rallying for all of those things that make our community, like, really great.”

An online fundraiser to pay for Ah Loo’s funeral has raised more than $200,000.