SLC prepares for October ‘No Kings’ protest after fatal shooting at June event

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Hundreds of thousands of people are set to attend a second round of ‘No Kings’ Protests across the country on October 18th, 2025. Multiple steps are being taken to ensure the public’s safety at the Salt Lake City protest.

According to Indivisible SLC, who is helping organize this event, the October 18th protest will begin at the Utah State Capitol at 11 a.m., followed by a march to Washington Square Park at 12:30 p.m.

Today, ABC4 spoke with the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) and event organizers to see what safety precautions will be in place to ensure the October 18th ‘No Kings’ Protest is safe to attend and remains peaceful.

Previously, an innocent bystander named Afa Ah Loo was shot and killed while attending the SLC ‘No Kings’ protest on June 14th.

A makeshift memorial for Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, known to friends and family as Afa, is seen Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Hannah Schoenbaum)

According to Sergeant Mike Southworth with the SLCPD, what happened on June 14th was a tragedy but was an outlier event. he said, “Most events do go off safely. Most events are peaceful, and we don’t have these major tragedies at most events. We’ve been doing this for many years now and these are outlier events. We want to do everything we can to prevent team and prepare for them.”

The Salt Lake City Police Department is taking action to ensure the event is as safe as possible.

Sergeant Southworth said, “We work with the people that are planning these free speech demonstrations, and we want to make it as safe as we possibly can, so we do a number of things to try to make these events safe for everybody involved.”

“We’re going to be gathering information, we’re going to try to identify potential risks and threats and vulnerabilities with the plans,” He added.

Reportedly, SLCPD has discussed how to best allocate their resources on the day of the protest, though they will allow individuals to conceal carry in accordance with state laws.

One of the best safety measures though, is for participants to stay alert.

Southworth said, “be aware. Watch your surrounds, watch for anything suspicious [or] unusual. Keep in contact with law enforcement if you need to. If you have information that needs to be passed along to law enforcement, pass it along. If you see something suspicious, call 911.”

October 18th Event Organizers

The October 18th SLC ‘No Kings’ Protest is reportedly being organized by Indivisible SLC, an organization that helped sponsor the previous protest as well.

Jamie Carter is a volunteer with Indivisible SLC and the political director for a national partner of DemCast ‘No Kings’ USA organization.

She says that nine events will be taking place across Utah on October 18th and that Salt Lake City’s protest is expected to be among the thirty largest protest events held across the country.

Carter added that their organization is taking measures to ensure the Utah protests are safe, “We’ve been working very closely with both Utah Highway Patrol, who does security for the capitol, and Salt Lake City Police Department, who does the rest of the city, to make sure we are in constant coordination with them.”

As part of their safety measures, the volunteer team has been undergoing de-escalation and safety training in preparation for the event.

Indivisible SLC is also asking attendees to come unarmed to the protest events. Carter said, “You know, we respect everyone’s second amendment rights, but we’re asking everyone, especially volunteers, to not bring weapons.”

Additionally, Carter said that these events are meant to bring people together, and that there will be speakers, music, and entertainment at the protests.

More information on the SLC protest and other ‘No Kings’ events can be found here.

June 14th ‘No Kings’ Shooting

Earlier this year, the 50501 movement organized thousands of protests across the United States to take place in multiple locations on June 14. Thousands were in attendance at the Salt Lake City protest when shots rang out shortly before 8 p.m.

Armed ‘peacekeepers’ were hired by Utah 50501, who organized SLC’s event, to act as safety volunteers at the June ‘No Kings’ protest. Reportedly, one of those peacekeepers saw 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa carrying a rifle and began to fire at him, later stating that he believed there was an imminent threat.

A stray bullet hit Afa Ah Loo, who was attending the protest. Ah Loo was taken to the hospital, where he died as a result of his injuries.

Since the fatal shooting, Governor Spencer Cox, and other local leaders have discussed the decision to have armed peacekeepers at the protest, which had been peaceful up until the shooting. Additionally, Salt Lake City has made changes to their permitting processes for public events, requiring updated security plans.

At this time, the District Attorney’s office is reviewing whether or not to file charges against Gamboa or the peacekeepers in connection with the shooting.