Project Runway star dies after being shot at anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ protest
Arthur Folasa “Afa” Ah Loo (Instagram/@afa.ahloo)
Arthur Folasa "Afa" Ah Loo (Instagram/@afa.ahloo)
Fashion designer and Project Runway star Arthur Folasa ‘Afa’ Ah Loo has died after being shot at a protest in the US. He was 39.
The Samoan head of fashion house Afa Ah Loo, who appeared on season 17 of the hit show, was at a No Kings protest in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday (14 June) when shots rang out.
Elle’s editor-in-chief and Project Runway judge Nina Garcia said she was heart-broken by the news and that Ah Loo “radiated joy and light”, WWD reported. One of his fellow Project Runway contestants, Tessa Clark, recalled how he “brought so much joy and laughter” to the show.
And Auli’i Cravalho, who Ah Loo dressed for the Moana 2 premiere, also paid tribute. “Afa’s creations are, and remain, thoughtful, elegant and powerful portrayals of Pacific culture,” she said. “Your artistry will never be forgotten and neither will your peaceful protest.”
Ah Loo is survived by his wife, Laura, and their two children, Vera and Isaac. A fundraiser has been set up to help support them and pay for funeral costs. So far, it has raised almost $400,000 (£297,000).
Numerous protests took place all over the US at the weekend, to oppose president Donald Trump’s policies, and Ah Loo was one of approximately 10,000 people in Salt Lake City. In a statement released on Sunday (15 June), police said a preliminary investigation revealed he had been an “innocent bystander” and “was not the intended target of the gunfire”.
A 24-year-old man, identified as Arturo Gamboa, was taken into custody and faces felony murder charges according to media reports, although he is not believed to be the person who fired the fatal shot. Two armed “peace-keepers” at the protest were also detained by police.
The police statement described a panicked scene as “hundreds of people ran for safety, hiding in parking garages, behind barriers, and going into nearby businesses”, after shots rang out at the protest just before 8pm.
Salt Lake City police chief Brian Redd said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the 39-year-old man who was killed, and with the many community members who were impacted by this traumatic incident.”
