A crazed gunman was taken into custody Saturday night after allegedly opening fire on thousands of protesters in Utah during a “No Kings” march that left one person critically injured, police said.
The terrifying incident unfolded around 8 p.m. near South State Street in Salt Lake City, sending a crowd of more than 10,000 people running for their lives as gunshots rang out, according to local reports.
The wounded victim reportedly collapsed at the chaotic scene, where he received emergency treatment, before being rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, Salt Lake City police said.
“The shooting at tonight’s protest in Salt Lake City is a deeply troubling act of violence and has no place in our public square,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said on X.
“This is an active situation, and we’re working closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability.”
Disturbing footage captured the terrified crowd scattering as a series of gunshots erupted, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
The outlet, with reporters on the scene, reported hearing officers shouting “gunman!” and “man with rifle!” as they rushed toward a parking garage on State Street.
Witnesses said they saw a man in a yellow vest shooting someone.
“I was kind of a deer in the headlights and my wife grabbed my arm and said, ‘We need to run,” Kris Pendleton told the outlet.
“[The man in the vest] seemed like someone who knew what they were doing. Maybe it was an armed security guard or a police officer.”
The shooter was reportedly shirtless and had blood on his hands when police took him into custody. He was later seen being placed on a stretcher, the outlet reported.
Police believe the shooting was associated with the demonstration – a nationwide movement that rallied against President Trump and the massive military parade in Washington, DC, honoring the US Army’s 250th anniversary.
The multi-million parade also coincided with Trump’s 79th birthday.
“We have a person of interest in custody,” police said on X, asking anyone with photos and videos of the horrific incident to upload them to an online portal.
“We are asking people to leave the demonstration safely and orderly. This remains a very fluid situation.”
The shooting remains under investigation.
