Utah Volunteer Accused of Manslaughter in Shooting Death of "No Kings" Protester
A safety volunteer has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a protester at a June protest in Salt Lake City. Matthew Alder, who was acting as a security measure for the event, allegedly fired three shots - one of which killed Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, also known as Afa, a successful fashion designer and former "Project Runway" contestant.
The incident occurred during a nationwide demonstration against President Donald Trump's administration, with protesters opposed to what they saw as authoritarian actions. At the time, Alder believed that another protester, Arturo Roberto Gamboa, was a potential mass shooter and had been seen assembling an AR-15 rifle near the crowd.
However, prosecutors argue that while Alder had the right to use lethal force in response to a perceived threat, his third shot fired over people's heads at a large gathering was reckless and constituted a crime. The prosecution believes that this shot constitutes manslaughter, which is considered a more severe charge than murder.
Alder's lawyer has yet to comment on the charges. Gamboa, who had been initially arrested on suspicion of murder, will not be charged due to a lack of evidence showing he broke any laws. However, his defense team claims that he was unarmed and did not hear anyone tell him to drop his rifle before being shot.
Laura Ah Loo, Afa's widow, has expressed her support for the charges against Alder, calling them "moral and just." She described her husband as an incredible father, advocate, creative, and champion for others. The case highlights the complexities of Utah's gun laws, which allow open-carry, but also raises questions about the use of lethal force in public gatherings.
The incident is a tragic reminder of the risks associated with protests and the need for careful consideration when using firearms as a means of crowd control.
A safety volunteer has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the fatal shooting of a protester at a June protest in Salt Lake City. Matthew Alder, who was acting as a security measure for the event, allegedly fired three shots - one of which killed Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, also known as Afa, a successful fashion designer and former "Project Runway" contestant.
The incident occurred during a nationwide demonstration against President Donald Trump's administration, with protesters opposed to what they saw as authoritarian actions. At the time, Alder believed that another protester, Arturo Roberto Gamboa, was a potential mass shooter and had been seen assembling an AR-15 rifle near the crowd.
However, prosecutors argue that while Alder had the right to use lethal force in response to a perceived threat, his third shot fired over people's heads at a large gathering was reckless and constituted a crime. The prosecution believes that this shot constitutes manslaughter, which is considered a more severe charge than murder.
Alder's lawyer has yet to comment on the charges. Gamboa, who had been initially arrested on suspicion of murder, will not be charged due to a lack of evidence showing he broke any laws. However, his defense team claims that he was unarmed and did not hear anyone tell him to drop his rifle before being shot.
Laura Ah Loo, Afa's widow, has expressed her support for the charges against Alder, calling them "moral and just." She described her husband as an incredible father, advocate, creative, and champion for others. The case highlights the complexities of Utah's gun laws, which allow open-carry, but also raises questions about the use of lethal force in public gatherings.
The incident is a tragic reminder of the risks associated with protests and the need for careful consideration when using firearms as a means of crowd control.
... i cant believe that someone has to go through such trauma because of a protest ... my school had a similar incident last year where some guy brought a gun into our assembly and it was super scary ... but the police were able to defuse the situation without anyone getting hurt
. it's not like u can just walk around w/ an ar-15 at a gathering, expecting everyone 2 calm down & listen 2 ur concerns lol. meanwhile, the fact that this guy was seen assembling an rifle & another person was told 2 drop it b4 getting shot is wild 
. but no, all ppl r focused on is "how could he not have known he wuz in harm's way?" 
like, cmon, protests r chaotic, people are passionate, n sometimes things get outta hand. the fact that this guy got a manslaughter charge instead of murder is sus 2 me, tho. it feels like a slap 2 the wrist 
. also can't believe Gamboa got off scot-free 
. Laura Ah Loo's widow just expressed support 4 the charges against Alder which is fair imo 
. gun laws r a whole mess but this case highlights how u need 2 be more careful w/ ur trigger fingers 
. Gamboa didn't even break any laws, but he still got shot anyway. And Laura Ah Loo is basically calling for Alder to take the fall for her husband's death? That's not cool at all.
...I mean, who shoots someone over a rifle, even if they thought it was a threat? It's like, dude, you gotta trust your training and not just freak out on the first whiff of uncertainty. The fact that he fired three shots is just plain reckless 
, and I don't think it's fair to say that the prosecution isn't charging him with murder, since that's basically what happened.
...he seemed like an amazing guy, and his wife is totally right to be upset about the whole thing. This whole incident just highlights how complicated things can get when it comes to using force in public gatherings 
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. It just seems so preventable if only Alder had taken a deep breath and called for backup instead of making a split-second decision that cost Afa his life 
. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Back in my day, we didn't have all these crazy laws about guns, but I guess that's just the way it goes now. It's like, one minute you're protesting for a cause, and the next, someone gets shot... it's just heartbreaking 
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. We all have a right to defend ourselves, but we also need to be mindful of our actions and consider the potential consequences 
. How many lives would be lost if everyone reacted like Alder did? 
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