Safety volunteer charged in fatal No Kings shooting in Utah
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Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announces charges in the deadly No Kings shooting case on Wednesday. Photo: Kim Bojórquez/Axios
Nearly six months after a bystander was fatally shot at a No Kings protest in downtown Salt Lake City, county prosecutors are moving forward with charges in the high-profile case.
Driving the news: Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill announced Wednesday he was charging a rally safety volunteer, Matthew Alder, 43, with one count of manslaughter, a second-degree felony.
- Prosecutors say Alder fired three bullets into the crowd during the June 14 march, including one that killed 39-year-old fashion designer Arthur Ah Loo.
Zoom in: The intended target was Arturo Gamboa, a protester whom Alder saw assembling an AR-15 at the march and believed posed a threat, according to authorities. Gamboa was wounded by one of the bullets.
- Gamboa, who did not fire his weapon, was arrested following the shooting but released about a week later with no charges.
- Prosecutors on Wednesday said they declined to charge Gamboa, but that he had "engaged in what could reasonably be perceived as alarming and irresponsible conduct."
"Our argument is that that third bullet was reckless, and if it is reckless, it is manslaughter," Gill told reporters at a Wednesday news conference.
- Gill, a Democrat, argued that Utah's open-carry and self-defense laws can create dangerous situations for bystanders at public events and contribute to "complex" cases such as this one.
Catch up quick: The Utah branch of the political group 50501 organized the June rally, which drew about 10,000 protesters.
- The national organization cut ties with the local chapter following the shooting, saying the Utah group violated its "strict no-weapons policy."
What they're saying: In a separate Wednesday news conference, Jim McConkie, an attorney for Ah Loo's widow, Laura, described the manslaughter charge as "appropriate for the circumstances of this case."
- "These past five months have been long, painful and deeply frustrating as we waited for answers," Laura said, adding she understood the need for the county to conduct a thorough investigation.
What's next: Laura's legal team said they plan to file a civil lawsuit against Alder some time after Christmas and are looking into other potential parties, including the city, which evaluated the permit application for the demonstration.
- An attorney for Alder, who faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, did not immediately return Axios' request for comment.