By Hannah Schoenbaum and Matthew Brown, The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The widow of a beloved Utah fashion designer who was… Deadly shot During a June “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City, she demanded on Wednesday that someone be held accountable for her husband’s death after more than four months had passed without any charges being filed in the case.
Arthur Volosa LawKnown as Ava, he died on June 15 when a man who was part of a peacekeeping team volunteering to participate in the protest fired three bullets at a man who had allegedly brandished a gun at protesters. One shot hit the gunman, who did not fire any shots, and another hit Ah Lo, a protester who later died in hospital.
The sign Ah Lo was holding that day said: “The world is watching,” said his wife, Laura Ah Lo.
“Ava has always stood up for those who need justice the most,” Laura Ah Lo said during a press conference on Wednesday. “And now I stand by him, for him and for all of us. The world is watching.”
Officers arrested Arturo Gamboa, the man with the gun, but did not charge him, saying at the time that he created the dangerous situation that led to Ah Lo’s death.
Police have not charged or identified the safety volunteer who shot Gamboa and killed Ah Lo. But authorities said they were investigating whether this man was justified in firing his gun.
Participation salt lake city this month in Another round of “No to Kings” demonstrations. – A national mobilization against what participants see as a shift to tyranny under the regime President Donald Trump – Drawing renewed attention to the open case.
Thousands gathered outside the Utah State Capitol on October 18 to exchange messages Hope and healingAnd demand justice for Ah Lo and his family.
Laura Ah Lo’s lawyers said they would file a wrongful death lawsuit against the unidentified volunteer in the coming weeks.
But legal experts say criminal charges are unlikely.
Utah gun laws expert and personal injury attorney Mitch Fellows is monitoring the case and does not expect criminal charges against the safety volunteer or Gamboa.
The right to self-defense and the right to bear a firearm are strong in Utah, and prosecutors would face significant hurdles trying to prove criminal charges against either man, Velos said.
“It’s like friendly fire. It can happen,” he said. “It happens with the military and it happens with the police.”
Prosecutors in a criminal case must convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred. Velos added that the bar in a civil suit would be much lower, simply requiring a preponderance of the evidence that the defendant was at fault or acted negligently.
Gamboa did not fire his gun. It is unclear what he intended to do with it.
Gamboa’s attorney said he was attending the rally as a supporter and was in possession of the legally unloaded weapon. Gamboa was walking while pointing at the ground before the volunteer shot him in the back, attorney Greg Skordas said.
Brown reported from Denver.