Safety Volunteer Charged with Manslaughter in Protest Shooting

Salt Lake County prosecutors have charged a safety volunteer with manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a participant during a protest in downtown Salt Lake City last June, marking a significant development nearly six months after the incident.

On Wednesday, District Attorney Sim Gill announced the charge against Matthew Scott Alder, who was part of the event's security team. Alder, who cooperated with investigators following the shooting, faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. The case stems from the "No Kings" march organized by the local chapter of the activist group Utah 50501 on June 14. Thousands gathered to demonstrate when tensions escalated, leading Alder to fire three shots at a man carrying a rifle.

Authorities say Alder confronted 24-year-old Arturo Roberto Gamboa, who was openly carrying an unloaded AR-15-style rifle, a practice permitted under Utah's open-carry laws that allow eligible individuals to bear firearms in public spaces. One bullet struck Gamboa in the back, wounding him nonfatally, while another fatally hit 39-year-old Arthur Folasa Ah Loo, a bystander participating in the protest. Ah Loo, a respected Utah fashion designer, husband, and father,...