Widow of protester killed files lawsuit against organizers of Utah ‘No Kings’ rally

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — The widow of Afa Ah Loo, the man killed during a No Kings Rally in Salt Lake City, filed a lawsuit against protest organizers and the man accused of firing the fatal shot.

Laura Ah Loo filed the lawsuit Monday, claiming the armed “peacekeeper” and the protest organizers’ negligence caused the death of her husband.

The protest was part of the No Kings Rally, which was held in every state nationwide on June 14, 2025. The National 50501 organization led the movement, with local groups organizing protests in their respective states.

In Salt Lake City, an estimated 10,000 people showed up to protest.

During the event, Matthew Alder, a member of the security team, allegedly fired into the crowd after spotting a protester carrying a rifle. Prosecutors said he shot three times, striking the armed protester and killing a bystander.

The widow of the man killed is now suing Alder for negligence, with the lawsuit saying it “should have been obvious that any errant shot fired would pose a lethal danger to bystanders.”

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The lawsuit claims that there was no imminent threat, but even if he believed there to be one, Alder could have moved several feet to the west and shot against a wall and not into the crowd.

“Defendant Alder, with little to no known training in crowd control or de-escalation, failed to clear an area behind Gamboa and instead simply started to fire his gun,” the lawsuit reads.

Laura Ah Loo is also suing organizers, claiming they didn’t properly train or vet all the members of the security team, nor did they inform law enforcement and the public of the armed peacekeepers.

“Defendants’ breaches of these duties resulted in a perfect storm of negligence that caused the only known fatality among a march of millions of Americans,” the lawsuit reads.

She is seeking damages for pain and suffering, lost wages and economic support, and funeral costs.

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