Suspects in Salt Lake City ‘No Kings’ shooting were part of demonstration: police

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Salt Lake City police confirmed that the individuals involved in a shooting that left one person critically injured during Saturday’s “No Kings” protest were participants in the demonstration.

The protest drew thousands to Pioneer Park following an earlier rally at the University of Utah, with an estimated 10,000 people attending throughout the day. Police said they responded to gunfire at the protest and found one individual with a gunshot wound, who was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Officers pursued a person of interest, also injured by gunfire, who was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

Authorities asked people to leave the area in a “safe and orderly” manner after the shooting. Two other individuals, who police say were also involved in the shooting in some capacity, were taken into custody, according to a report by KSLTV. All four people are believed to have been participants in the protest, police said, though the circumstances regarding the shooting are still under investigation.

“At this time, there are no known outstanding individuals associated with the incident,” police said in a statement. “There are also no known threats to the community.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the violence in a statement on X, calling the scene “horrific.”

“The violence we’ve seen today in Salt Lake City and elsewhere in the country is horrific—it’s just not who we are. We deserve to feel safe, especially when exercising our First Amendment rights,” Mendenhall wrote. “Thank you to the Salt Lake City Police Department for their quick action tonight to protect lives and support those marching peacefully. My heart is with you, SLC. We’ll get through this.”

Utah Attorney General Derek Brown also commented on the shooting, condemning the violence and praising law enforcement’s response.

"Violence has no place here in Utah. I'm deeply saddened to hear about the shooting at today's protest and I appreciate law enforcement's quick response to the incident,” Brown said.