“When discourse ends, violence begins.” – Charlie Kirk
On Wednesday, 10 September 2025, Charlie Kirk was speaking at a bustling Turning Point USA event at the Utah Valley University campus. A crowd had formed around him. He was in the middle of a conversation with one of its members, and the topic of the conversation was mass shootings. Kirk reached for the microphone. He began to respond to the individual: “Counting or not counting gang violence?” was the last thing he said before his body jolted back and blood began pouring from his neck. The onlookers, in absolute shock, scattered, yelling and shouting. Kirk collapsed on the ground in a pool of his own blood while officials rushed to tend to him.
At around 4:50 PM, the official White House page on X announced that “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.”
An Instagram post from the New York Post claimed, at around 5:18 PM, that the suspect was still at large. The suspect who initially appeared to be the shooter was apprehended but was later released after he had been identified as not being the perpetrator.
The investigation is ongoing, and there is still much uncertainty as to the identity of the shooter. According to witness footage published on X and later reposted to Instagram, an individual may have been spotted on the roof of the Losee Center. Officials have acknowledged the possibility that the shot originated from a rooftop. A second suspect was later interrogated and subsequently released. At present, the gunman is still at large.
There was very little security at the event at which the tragedy occurred. There was no screening or bag checking, according to a witness.
This follows a recent attack on a Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, who was killed as a result of being stabbed in the neck while riding on the North Carolina transit system. She sustained a neck would and tragically died from her injuries.
Political tensions in the United States have been soaring ever higher; although social media posts are pouring in expressing empathy for the death of Kirk, a husband and father, negative comments proliferated elsewhere on the Internet. Comedian Troy Bond posted on X at 4:12 PM writing that “I might believe in God because they shot him right in the throat and that was God telling him to shut the f*** up I wish I believed in Heaven, so I knew Charlie Kirk would not be going.” On top of this, an MSNBC guest speculated that the gun was shot by a possible supporter in some sort of celebration, likely referencing Kirk’s support of the Second Amendment. The network later apologized for this comment, calling them “insensitive and unacceptable.” Former President Barack Obama also expressed his condolences on X, stating “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”
Such brash political violence should be condemned, and our thoughts and prayers are with both the friends and family of Charlie Kirk and Iryna Zarutska.
GRAPHIC: USER DISCRETION ADVISED
(A video of the attack from Instagram)
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DObv-BiCZPH/?igsh=MW85azUyOTl1bGEycQ==
