Utah Man Charged with Manslaughter After Fatal Shooting at Anti-Kings Protest
A safety volunteer who opened fire on protesters during a June anti-"No Kings" rally in Salt Lake City has been charged with manslaughter. Matthew Scott Alder, 43, allegedly believed another man carrying a rifle was about to commit a mass shooting and fired three shots, wounding the man and killing a bystander.
The victim, Arthur "Afa" Ah Loo, 45, was recording video of protesters in the street when he was fatally shot. Prosecutors say Alder used lethal force in a reckless manner, despite having a right to do so.
Initially not arrested, Alder faced charges after police detained his alleged assailant, Arturo Gamboa, for a week. However, no charges were filed against Gamboa, who claimed his unloaded rifle was pointed downwards at the time of the shooting.
Gamboa's history with protests suggests he had been attending public rallies for years, carrying an AR-15-style rifle for his own protection and that of fellow protesters. His friend described him as bringing a gun to "deter counter-protesters" during events.
Alder's actions have sparked outrage among the community, with Ah Loo's widow calling the district attorney's decision to file charges "a significant first step towards creating a safer environment for public gatherings". Alder faces up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
A safety volunteer who opened fire on protesters during a June anti-"No Kings" rally in Salt Lake City has been charged with manslaughter. Matthew Scott Alder, 43, allegedly believed another man carrying a rifle was about to commit a mass shooting and fired three shots, wounding the man and killing a bystander.
The victim, Arthur "Afa" Ah Loo, 45, was recording video of protesters in the street when he was fatally shot. Prosecutors say Alder used lethal force in a reckless manner, despite having a right to do so.
Initially not arrested, Alder faced charges after police detained his alleged assailant, Arturo Gamboa, for a week. However, no charges were filed against Gamboa, who claimed his unloaded rifle was pointed downwards at the time of the shooting.
Gamboa's history with protests suggests he had been attending public rallies for years, carrying an AR-15-style rifle for his own protection and that of fellow protesters. His friend described him as bringing a gun to "deter counter-protesters" during events.
Alder's actions have sparked outrage among the community, with Ah Loo's widow calling the district attorney's decision to file charges "a significant first step towards creating a safer environment for public gatherings". Alder faces up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.
... I mean, who needs gun control laws when people are willing to risk their lives to stand up for what they believe? Alder was clearly justified in using lethal force to protect himself and others from potential harm. But on the other hand, Gamboa's loaded rifle with his finger off the trigger wasn't gonna do much good, right? 
I guess it's a good thing Ah Loo had his phone camera rolling or no one would've known about this whole situation... and honestly, if Alder hadn't acted so fast, who knows how many more lives could've been lost. It's just another case of the system letting people down 
... but maybe the fact that Gamboa was released without charges is a sign that we're moving towards better self-defense options for protesters?
! And now Arthur's wife is calling for change? 
I mean, can you blame her?! It's a total outrage that he wasn't arrested sooner, but at least the DA finally did something 
! Alder's face could totally end up on the cover of some true crime show... 
and 15 yrs in prison ain't gonna be enough for me 
!
and it's not like he was trying to protect anyone, he was just being super reckless and used lethal force for no reason. 15 years in prison doesn't seem like enough to me... the victim's widow said it was a "significant first step" towards making gatherings safer, but i think they should do more than that 
... 1.5 mil ppl got shot at protests in 2024 alone & only 12 people were arrested - that's like 0.008% chance of gettin caught lol! 
in Utah they had 10k+ ppl attend the "No Kings" rally & Gamboa shows up with an unloaded rifle 
(avg of 3.75 per day) & not one single person got arrested for those incidents 
.
this whole thing is just crazy what's going on here is that someone thinks it's okay to just start shooting at people without checking if they're even a threat 
and the only person who gets charged is the one who acted recklessly 
. no charges for the alleged assailant? that's just convenient 
A guy opens fire on protesters thinking someone was about to commit a mass shooting... like, what is wrong with people?! 
. And the fact that no charges were filed against the dude carrying an unloaded rifle... I don't even know what to say 
. Alder better hope he gets the max time in prison 
if convicted!
. I mean, can you blame someone for wanting to protect their fellow protesters, right? But at the same time, there's gotta be a better way to handle those feelings than openin' fire 
. One thing for sure is that Arthur Ah Loo's family deserves justice, and I hope the community comes together to make sure they get it 
and I saw they have this new spot that's like, totally underrated... anyway, back to Utah... I feel bad for Ah Loo's family, but 15 years isn't too long, right? Like, I've had my friend do some pretty reckless stuff after a few too many beers 
. But, you know, at least the DA is taking this seriously now. Did you guys see that video of Gamboa with his rifle? That's wild...
.