Family of man killed during No Kings protest announces intent to file lawsuit

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A press conference was held Wednesday morning by attorneys representing a man who was shot and killed during a No Kings protest in June.

Attorneys representing the family of Afa Ah Loo, who was shot and killed during a protest in downtown Salt Lake City, are expected to speak on a GRAMA request made asking for all documents and correspondence between Salt Lake City and other agencies regarding the protest and incident to be released.

Jim McConkie, one attorney representing the Ah Loo family, said Wednesday morning that they intend on filing a lawsuit regarding the incident that took Afa’s life.

McConkie said that the family is asking for cooperation from Salt Lake City, for the appropriate charges to be filed against Matt Alder, and that, through the lawsuit, they discover what happened and what went wrong.

‘Silence won’t bring him back’

Afa’s widow, Laura Ah Loo, spoke at the presser. She said that her husband was killed while standing up for what he believed in.

Laura said that while it is hard to speak up, she wants to prevent events similar to this one from happening again.

“Staying silent would be easier, but silence won’t bring him back. And silence won’t protect
the next event from a similar incident, or the next family from getting the kind of call that
shattered my world and my kids’ world,” said Laura.

Afa’s widow wants to see accountability taken and changes made.

“My intention with this lawsuit is to put my words to action, to create impact for
accountability, where responsibility was absent and where negligence cost my husband his
life, said Laura. We all deserve to be protected by responsible policies, organizations, and safeguards that prevent senseless and avoidable violence in public spaces.”

Seeking justice and ensuring safety

Attorney Brian Stewart shared that the family deserves accountability and to ensure that something like this won’t happen to another family in the future.

“No single failure alone caused Afa’s death. This tragedy occurred at the intersection of a
series of flawed decisions, inadequate protocols, poor communication, and negligent
acts—each of which must be scrutinized,” Stewart said.

Stewart said that Salt Lake City’s limited cooperation in the aftermath of the shooting is concerning. He believes that the city should be focused on achieving justice for the victims and ensuring public safety.

“We do not seek to simply criticize. We seek to learn. We seek a safer city and community.
We seek to ensure that no other family suffers the way Afa’s family suffers now,” Stewart said.

District Attorney’s office

Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill issued the following statement following the press conference:

“We sympathize with the pain and loss suffered by the Ah Loo family.  We met with them early in the process and explained that this review would take time. We have been open and available to any reach in from their counsel from our first meeting and continue to be. We are carefully working through a complex and nuanced legal analysis. We expect to reach a decision soon.”