Salt Lake City shooting: Gunshots fired during No Kings protest, suspect arrested

At least one person was left critically injured after a shooting took place during the ‘No Kings’ protest in downtown Salt Lake City.

One individual was critically injured in a shooting that happened during a "No Kings" demonstration on Saturday night close to 200 S. State Street; the incident is being investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department.

At 8:29 p.m., the department wrote on X, "We can confirm the shooting resulted in one person being critically injured." "The patient has been transported to a hospital due to potentially fatal injuries."

The crowd dispersed, with some saying that they heard gunshots, according to a Utah News Dispatch reporter who was on the scene. A photojournalist also saw other individuals providing aid while what looked to be a victim lay in the street. The victim was thereafter observed being placed into an ambulance.

Officers also had a "person of interest in custody," according to the police agency.

They asked attendees to depart the protest "safely and orderly."

At approximately nine o'clock at night, Utah Governor Spencer Cox released a statement in which he described the shooting as "a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square."

"To ensure accountability, we're collaborating closely with law enforcement in this dynamic situation," Cox stated.

Twenty minutes or so later, Cox wrote on X that he had just discussed the shooting with Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

"Everyone affected tonight, my heart is broken," he remarked. "We are grateful to the thousands of demonstrators who properly used their constitutional rights tonight. I am appreciative of the security, SLCPD, DPS, and medical staff who acted quickly to save lives.

• Salt Lake City Police report a person of interest was detained near the scene .
• While charges are still pending, police are actively investigating motive and circumstances .

Mayor Erin Mendenhall emphasized the urgency of maintaining safety for peaceful assembly:

“The violence we’ve seen today in Salt Lake City … is horrific—it’s just not who we are. We deserve to feel safe, especially when exercising our First Amendment rights.”