Community rallies around family of Samoan designer killed in ‘No Kings’ protest

An outpouring of community support has emerged for the family of Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, the 39-year-old Samoan fashion designer and former “Project Runway” contestant who was fatally shot while participating in a “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday night.

Ah Loo died from gunshot wounds sustained during a permitted demonstration of roughly 10,000 people opposing President Donald Trump’s policies, part of the nationwide “No Kings” protests that coincided with Trump’s birthday and the Army’s 250th anniversary. The fatal shooting reportedly occurred after a protest “peacekeeping team” member discharged three rounds at 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa, who authorities said was advancing toward the crowd carrying an AR-15-style rifle.

Salt Lake City police have not yet determined whether the peacekeepers were recruited by event organizers or acted independently. Gamboa has been charged with murder for allegedly creating the deadly situation, despite him not discharging his weapon.

Ah Loo, or “Afa” to his family and friends, is survived by wife Laura and two young children. Born in Samoa, the self-taught fashion designer had made Utah his home for roughly a decade before obtaining American citizenship. He competed on Bravo’s “Project Runway” in 2019 and maintained his own brand, Afa Ah Loo, offering online sewing instruction and workshops.

As co-founder of the nonprofit Creative Pacific, Ah Loo championed Pacific Islander artists and cultural expression, recently crafting a garment for “Moana 2” star Auliʻi Cravalho’s red carpet premiere and styling guests at the Gold House Gala in Los Angeles. In an Instagram post Monday, Cravalho expressed her “deepest condolences, sympathies and Aloha” to the late designer’s family and “all who felt his impact.” “Your artistry will never be forgotten; and neither will your peaceful protest,” she noted.

Over 100 people assembled Monday evening at the shooting location for a vigil, creating a memorial with flowers, candles and a hand-drawn portrait of Ah Loo placed near where the tragedy occurred. Richard Wolfgramm, a friend who accompanied him to the protest, highlighted Ah Loo’s dedication to social justice, explaining the protest marked his third demonstration within a week following Utah Pride and an immigration rally. “This is the kind of person Afa Ah Loo was. He was a humanist. He saw the humanity in everybody,” Wolfgramm told The Salt Lake Tribune.

State Rep. Verona Mauga, a family friend whose roots trace to the same Samoan village of Lotopa, was marching with other elected officials during the shooting. Speaking to KSL TV, she said Ah Loo “believed in equity and equality for all people and all communities” and would have taken pride that his final moments involved “standing up for marginalized and vulnerable communities.”

A GoFundMe page organized by family friends has raised more than $390,000 as of Tuesday evening. An August fashion show that Ah Loo was planning with his business partner will proceed as a tribute to honor his commitment to the community.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.