Friends of Arturo Gamboa speak out, call for his release

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — When friends and family heard Arturo Gamboa was arrested in the ‘No Kings’ protest shooting last weekend, they didn’t believe it. The described Gamboa as kindhearted.

Tayler Lacey, a friend, described him as a “very warm-hearted person to be around.” Konrad Keele added, “He’s never been mean to anybody. He’s only ever been kind. He’s a community organizer. He’s a community outreach. He’s a good person, and he doesn’t deserve this.”

Keele, along with other friends and family, has been organizing a push and fundraiser to get Gamboa released and financial support for his commissary and potential legal defense. Keele said “I just want my friend out of jail. There’s no reason for him to be in there.”

They said Gamboa has taken his gun to protests in the past, never having an issue. Keele believes it doesn’t make sense, and he doesn’t believe he ever pointed it at anyone. He explained, “He knows how to handle weapons. He knows not to point them out at people. He knows to keep it at the ground. He knows what the laws are. And the fact that people have said that he was pointing a gun, that doesn’t make sense.”

Gamboa’s detainment has been extended to Monday, June 23 at 5 p.m. after a judge approved the district attorney’s motion. No charges have been filed, but this gives investigators more time to find evidence that could warrant charges. Or, Gamboa could be released with no charges.

That’s what Keele and other friends want to see. “I hope he just gets to walk, the sensible thing. The thing that makes sense to everybody. There’s enough evidence to let him go,” Keele said.

Friends are also confused as to why Gamboa is the only one detained after the shooting, since there is no evidence that he fired a weapon and the “peacekeeper”, as described by police and 50501 Utah, was the one that did.

Lacey expressed, “A little unfair that someone who, again, his gun never went off, never fired a shot is in custody at the people who did fire shots, you know, are not detained. Are still walking free. Especially if it’s for the sake of figuring out what exactly happened. It’s like, shouldn’t everybody be detained while they sort everything out?”

Gamboa’s supporters plan to wait and see what comes after Monday’s release deadline to see how they will respond to support him.