SALT LAKE CITY — People continued to gather around a growing memorial to Afa Ah Loo on Tuesday, placing flowers and mementos to honor the life of the man killed while attending what had been a peaceful protest march over the weekend.
So many questions remain about what occurred in downtown Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
Questions around the intentions of Arturo Gamboa, the rifle-carrying suspect who has been arrested.
Questions about the so-called "peacekeeper," a volunteer now identified as a military veteran, who fired his weapon.
And the biggest question of all? When will we get answers?
"[What's] interesting is that no one has been charged yet, that they're still continuing the investigation," said criminal defense attorney Clayton Simms.
'Peacekeeper' connected to protest shooting was volunteer, military veteran:
Simms is a well-known criminal defense attorney in Salt Lake, and his focus, to start, is on the unnamed, volunteer "peacekeeper" who fired the shots that killed Ah Loo. For him, a lot of how the case ends up will rely on perception
"The peacekeeper's actions would be viewed as ordinary citizen, and it's a reasonable person standard," he said."
Attorney Mitch Vilows specializes in weapons law and agrees with Simms.
“What is a reasonable belief? That's going to be a big issue in this case,” Vilows explained.
“In Utah, we have a forcible felony clause in our self-defense statute, and a citizen can use deadly force to stop the commission of a forcible felony. It's one of a few states that you can do that.”
Murder suspect described as a punk rocker who often open-carries a firearm at protests:
But was that actually what happened?
“What did the shooter actually see before he pulled the trigger?” asked Vilos.
"What information do they have?" echoed Simms. "They see someone walking with, you know, an AR-15. They have to make a decision at that point."
So where do the legal experts think this will go?
"The charges could go as high as murder, but it could go misdemeanor, threats, it could be anything in that range," said Simms, speaking about both Gamboa and the peacekeeper.
In a statement Tuesday, Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said, “When the gathered evidence is presented to our office and homicide team, we will have a better understanding of facts, evidence and any chargeable decision. Until then, any conjecture would be purely speculative, inaccurate and inappropriate,”
The Salt Lake City Police Department is also still in the middle of gathering that evidence.
"...a lot is going to depend on what the evidence shows during the investigation," Vilos shared.
The timeline isn’t indefinite, with Simms explaining that Gill's office will have to make a decision on possible charges within a week, give or take. But bottom line, the case will come down to intent and perception as loved ones and community members still search for answers.
