A safety volunteer accused of
fatally shooting a man who was participating in a “No Kings” protest in Salt Lake City in June has been charged with manslaughter, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
Matthew Alder allegedly fired at a man who was holding a rifle during the demonstration, injuring that person and killing
Arthur Folasa Ah Loo.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill also announced that the man with the rifle, Arturo Roberto Gamboa, will not be charged.
“We appreciate the patience of the family of Mr. Ah Loo and the community as our office went through the screening process. We grieve the loss of Mr. Ah Loo as a husband, father, and active member of our community,” Gill said in a statement.
Ah Loo, known as Afa, was as a successful fashion designer and former “Project Runway” contestant who devoted his life to celebrating artists from the Pacific Islands.
His widow, Laura Ah Loo,
who has demanded accountability for her husband’s death, said Gill’s decision to charge Alder was “moral and just.” Fighting back tears, she described her husband as “an incredible father, advocate, creative and champion for others.”
“The grief of losing him has been profound and overwhelming,” Ah Loo told reporters at a news conference.
Gamboa was initially arrested on suspicion of murder and accused of creating the dangerous situation that led to Ah Loo’s death, police said at the time. Utah is an open-carry state, meaning people who can legally own a firearm are generally allowed to carry it on a public street.
An email and a telephone message left for Alder’s lawyer, Phil Wormdahl, seeking comment were not immediately returned.
