Utah Representatives Verona Mauga and Jake Fitisemanu respond to manslaughter charges against Matthew Alder, the man accused of killing community leader Afa Ah Loo:
“Today brings complicated feelings of relief, sorrow, anger, and hope.
It has been a long and painful road to get here. Our hearts are with Afa’s family and the whole Pacific Islander community, who have carried unimaginable grief since June. We are grateful that we are finally seeing movement toward accountability. In a moment when justice has felt distant, today feels like a step in that direction.
Afa was exercising his rights and standing up against injustice, just as so many in our community continue to do in his memory. The pain we all feel does not end with today’s announcement as we continue to mourn his loss. But we hope this brings some measure of comfort and a path forward for healing as the process continues.”
