This weekend’s “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City, Utah—part of a nationwide anti‑Trump immigration demonstration—turned tragic when former Project Runway contestant and Samoan-born designer Arthur “Afa” Folasa Ah Loo was fatally shot. Ah Loo, 39, was standing among over 10,000 protesters on Saturday night when a man named Arturo Gamboa brandished an AR‑15-style rifle near the crowd. Two volunteer peacekeepers wearing neon vests fired three shots to stop him—one bullet hit Gamboa, another struck Ah Loo. He was rushed to the hospital but didn’t survive. Police say Ah Loo was an innocent bystander, not the intended target . Ah Loo gained recognition on Project Runway Season 17 in 2019, becoming the first Samoan contestant. He built a reputation for vibrant, culturally-rooted designs—dressing stars like Auliʻi Cravalho—and founded community sewing workshops and the Creative Pacific Foundation to uplift Pacific Islander artists . Utah Rep. Verona Mauga, a friend, shared that he “devoted his life to doing ‘good things for his neighbors and community,’” and that Ah Loo—affectionately known as “Afa”—would have been proud to stand for justice this Saturday . He leaves behind his wife, Laura, and two young children. GoFundMe pages have already raised well over $100K to support his family. Rest in power, Afa.
