Matt Alder, a man who served as a safety volunteer during last summer’s "No Kings" protest in Salt Lake City, is slated to face the judge for the first time since being charged with a second-degree felony manslaughter. This court appearance, scheduled for Tuesday morning, comes roughly six months after the chaotic incident that claimed the life of 39-year-old Arthur Folasa “Asa” Ah Loo. According to ABC4, during today’s proceedings, Alder will be read his charges and provided a lawyer if he does not already have one.
The tragic chain of events unfolded when Alder discharged his firearm at another protester, Arturo Gamboa, whom Alder believed was arming himself to carry out a mass shooting. One of the stray bullets struck Ah Loo, who later succumbed to his injuries. As reported by KJZZ, this court appearance will also set the dates for Alder's future hearings.
During the initial chaotic scene, both Gamboa and Alder were taken into custody. Alder was released shortly after, while Gamboa spent almost a week in jail before being released at his attorney's request. In a surprising turn, no charges were ultimately filed against Gamboa, who was allegedly the intended target of Alder’s gunfire. KUTV shared that Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill referred to the facts of the case as "very nuanced and complex," citing that the state's gun laws played a crucial role in the handling of these charges.
In a statement obtained by KUTV, Gill further elaborated, "Utah's gun laws complicated the investigation and what charges could be brought forward." This complexity is a thread in the narrative that unfolds as Alder confronts the legal consequences of his actions during a protest that was meant to embody a message of anti-authoritarianism, a jarring irony not lost on those watching the case closely.
