Former ‘Project Runway’ Contestant, Afa Ah Loo, Killed at No Kings Rally

<p id=”par-1_56″>Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, best known as Afa Ah Loo, a Samoan <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/project-runway-winners-who-is-the-shows-most-successful-designer.html/”>fashion designer</a> known for his ties to reality TV, has died. The <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/bravo/?swcfpc=1″>Bravo </a>star was a bystander at the No Kings Rally in Downtown Salt Lake City when gunshots rang out. He was struck by a stray bullet and died from his injuries. He was 39.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-how-did-afa-ah-loo-die”>How did Afa Ah Loo die?</h2>

<p id=”par-2_58″>Afa Ah Loo was gunned down during a No Kings Rally in Salt Lake City. According to <a href=”https://people.com/innocent-bystander-dies-after-shooting-no-kings-protest-utah-suspect-custody-11755073″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>People</a>, the iconic designer headed out to downtown Salt Lake City on June 14, 2025, to watch one of the No Kings rallies that took over much of the country. During the rally, 24-year-old Arturo Gamboa appeared with an AR-15-style rifle.</p>

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<p id=”par-3_68″>Two members of a peacekeeping organization attempted to detain Gamboa, who then ran towards a crowd. The two peacekeepers, whose names have not been released, fired shots to stop Gamboa. One of the bullets fatally wounded the designer. Another hit, Gamboa, but he survived. According to <a href=”https://apnews.com/article/utah-no-kings-protest-shot-killed-75c777eeedd59c80c85695c45385c507″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>the Associated Press,</a> Gamboa has been charged in Afa Ah Loo’s death. It is unclear if charges against the peacekeepers will follow.</p>

<p id=”par-4_38″>Afa Ah Loo grew up in Samoa, an island in Polynesia. He moved to Utah after meeting his wife, Laura, and grew his design business in the United States. He leaves behind his wife and two young children.</p>

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-afa-ah-loo-rose-to-fame-on-project-runway-and-worked-with-rhoslc-stars”>Afa Ah Loo rose to fame on ‘Project Runway’ and worked with ‘RHOSLC’ stars</h2>

<p id=”par-5_74″>Before his death, Afa Ah Loo developed his brand of brightly colored and patterned designs on reality TV. The fashion designer is best known for his time on <em><a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/project-runway-5-strict-rules-contestants-must-follow.html/”>Project Runway</a></em>, but he also has connections to <em>The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City</em>. The Samoan designer appeared on season 17 of <em>Project Runway</em> as a contestant. He was eliminated in week 4 from the competition, finishing 13th overall. Sebastian Grey was the season’s winner.</p>

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<p id=”par-6_80″>Afa Ah Loo also worked with both Jen Shah and Danna Bui-Negrete during their tenure on <em>RHOSLC</em>. He crafted designer dresses for the cast members. Shah last appeared on the series in season 3. She is currently serving jail time for <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/breaking-down-the-sentence-what-led-to-jen-shahs-78-months-in-prison-attorney-duncan-levin-exclusive.html/”>wire fraud charges.</a> She is expected to be released in November 2026. Bui-Negrete appeared on the series in season 3 as a friend before being downgraded to a guest in season 4. She did not return for season 5.</p>

<p id=”par-7_12″>A <a href=”https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-laura-vera-and-isaac-after-afas-passing” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>GoFundMe </a>campaign has been established to aid his widow and children.</p>

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