While engaging with an audience member about mass shootings in the United States, Kirk was shot in the neck by a gunman positioned on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards (130m) away. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital after undergoing emergency surgery. On September 12, authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson after his family notified them. Four days later, prosecutors charged Robinson with murder and announced they would seek the death penalty, alleging the attack was politically motivated.[2][3][4]
The killing was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan commentary.[5]
U.S. president Donald Trump, members of the Republican Party, and other conservative figures immediately blamed members of the Democratic Party and left-wing or liberal beliefs before a suspect was in custody,[6][7] and without evidence,[8][9] called for a crackdown against groups on the left.[8][10][11] The moves were widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts as using the killing as a pretext to silence political opposition.[12][13][11][9]U.S. government agencies and private organizations sought to compile lists of people celebrating Kirk's death which soon expanded to policing criticism of Kirk in general.[14] This resulted in death threats, firings, university expulsions, and in some cases arrests.
Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA.[15][16] A close ally of U.S. president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his skills in social media and campus organizing to become a highly influential figure in the "hard-right movement".[17] Described as "something of a kingmaker" by The New York Times, Kirk was able to rally support to protect embattled Trump cabinet nominees and against Republican Party figures he deemed insufficiently supportive of Trump.[17]The Washington Post described him as "one of the most prominent voices on the right" in recent years.[18]Axios described Kirk as a "driving force" in Trump's presidential campaigns.[19]
Since 2016, there has been a large increase in attacks on politicians and government employees.[33]START researcher Michael Jensen recorded 150 politically motivated attacks in the first half of 2025, almost twice the number in the same period in 2024.[34] The majority of political violence in recent years has been committed by right-leaning perpetrators.[35][33][36] The Anti-Defamation League found that all of the 61 political killings in the U.S. from 2022 through 2024 were committed by right-wing extremists.[37] Counter-terrorism experts described Trump's previous pardon of the January 6 attackers as creating a permission structure for them to commit political violence.[37] Most perpetrators do not belong to any formal organization; instead, extremist ideologies spread on social media, where "a crude language of memes, slang and jokes blurs the line between posturing and provoking violence, normalising radical ideologies and activities".[36] Kirk had been a strong proponent of the idea that there was a prevalence of transgender mass shooters, despite statistical researchers saying otherwise.[38]
Event
Turning Point USA announced on August 27 that Kirk would be visiting several college campuses during September–October 2025 as part of a speech and debate series titled the American Comeback Tour.[39] Kirk's appearance at UVU was scheduled to be the first stop on the tour.[16] A petition was circulated calling on the university to cancel his appearance, but university officials permitted the speech, citing free speech and open discussion policies.[40] Approximately 3,000 people attended the event,[41] which was secured by six police officers and Kirk's private security personnel.[42][41] Although the event was ticketed, the ticketing was not enforced. Metal detectors were not used for entry to the event.[43]
Shooting
Kirk was under a tent in the grassy amphitheater at bottom left; the shot reportedly came from the roof of the building at upper right.Map of locations: (1) suspect at 11:50 a.m., (2) pedestrian tunnel, (3) parking garage, (4) shooter on roof, (5) Charlie Kirk, (6) suspect drops to ground, (7) rifle found in wooded area
The suspected gunman arrived on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at 8:29a.m. MDT (UTC–6).[44] Security camera footage examined by investigators showed that he was dressed differently than he was around the time of the shooting.[44]
Investigators said that the suspect reappeared on video at around 11:50a.m., when he moved through a grassy area into a parking lot near the campus. Video posted by TMZ on Twitter appears to show the suspect in the area described by the investigators.[44] At 11:53a.m., he stopped at the top of some stairs and "pulled out his phone" before proceeding into a pedestrian tunnel.[44] Still images released by the FBI show him ascending a stairwell in a parking garage adjacent to the tunnel.[44] The speaking event began at noon.[45] Authorities said he was seen at 12:02p.m. walking on the north side of the Losee Center, where they said he would later shoot Kirk from the roof.[44] According to an affidavit, the suspect entered the Losee Center from the southeast side and was seen ascending the stairs next to the building 13 minutes later.[44] Investigators said that by 12:22p.m., he was on the roof, lying on his stomach, facing the location where Kirk was speaking.[44]
Sitting under a tent displaying the tour title, Kirk engaged in a back-and-forth exchange with UVU student Hunter Kozak about mass shootings in the United States.[46][47][48] At 12:23p.m., a single shot was fired from the roof of the Losee Center,[44][49][50]142 yards (130m) from Kirk, hitting him in the neck.[45][51] Emma Pitts, a Deseret News reporter who witnessed the event, told NPR, "I just saw so much blood come out of the left side of Charlie's neck, and then he went limp."[48] Former U.S. representative Jason Chaffetz, who was in attendance, said, "As soon as the shot went out, everybody hit the deck and everybody started scattering and yelling and screaming."[41]
Video footage also surfaced of the suspected shooter running from the south corner of the Losee Center roof, where he purportedly shot Kirk, to the north corner, where the ground was higher and he could hang from the edge of the roof and drop to the ground, which occurred at about 12:24p.m.[45] Palm prints were later found at the edge of the roof, as well as smudges from which samples were collected to look for DNA evidence, and a footprint was found on the ground, which showed he was wearing Converse sneakers. He then moved into a wooded area north of the campus, where a rifle with a scope on top and containing inscribed bullet casings was later found.[45][52]
According to police audio, the first report of the shooting occurred at 12:26p.m. At 12:31p.m., an officer then reported "gunshots heard near the library". At 12:35p.m., the officer added "maybe the CS building", before describing the shooter as "wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle". A minute later, the officer elaborated, "on top of the building on the far north side, just east of the library".[53] Kirk was carried by six men to an SUV, which took him to Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem,[54][41][55] where he underwent surgery.[56][57] His death was announced by Donald Trump at 2:40p.m. on Truth Social.[58][59] At 12:37p.m., the university closed the campus and urged everyone to leave.[60] At 2:01p.m., the university instructed those remaining on campus to "secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus".[61] Classes and activities at all campuses, including satellite locations, were suspended until September 15.[62][63]
Manhunt
FBI-released CCTV footage of a suspect jumping from the rooftop of a building following the shooting. The jumping starts at 18 seconds into the video.
Two people were arrested soon after the shooting.[64] One libertarian conservative was arrested on campus grounds after claiming to have shot Kirk.[65] He later told police he "was glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away."[66] The arrested reportedly had a history of mental health issues, was known to Utah authorities for repeatedly disrupting public events.[65] The suspect was taken to a hospital.[66] After his release on September 14, he was booked into jail for obstruction of justice; after police discovered images of child sex abuse on his phone, he was also charged with sexual exploitation of minors.[67]
Hours after the shooting, FBI director Kash Patel announced on social media that "the subject" in Kirk's killing had been apprehended; Utah governor Spencer Cox said that a "person of interest" had been detained. Within two hours of Patel's initial announcement he said that the subject had been "released after an interrogation by law enforcement".[68][64]
Evidence and leads
Law enforcement recovered an older-make Mauser-type bolt-action hunting rifle chambered in .30-06,[69][70] from a wooded area near the shooting,[71] engraved bullets, and "a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis".[72][73] In a press conference on September 11, officials said that they had "good video footage" and were applying facial recognition technology to it.[72][71] Later that day, the FBI indicated that facial recognition efforts had been unsuccessful, released photos of a person of interest,[74] and offered up to $100,000 for information in the case.[75][76][73] The FBI also investigated various social media accounts which appeared to reference the date of Kirk’s assassination before it took place.[77]
Bullet inscriptions
Bullets found in the rifle were inscribed with various messages and internet memes. The spent case was inscribed with "Notices bulges OwO what's this?", a reference to furry online roleplay.[78] Three unfired rounds were engraved with: "Hey fascist! Catch! ↑→↓↓↓", the arrows referring to a sequence of game controller inputs used to summon a bomb in the video game Helldivers 2; "Oh bella ciao bella ciao bella ciao ciao ciao", a reference to the Italian anti-fascist song "Bella ciao"; and "If you read this, you are gay LMAO."[78][79][80] The song "Bella ciao" remains widely known as an anti-fascist anthem; however, it had also resurfaced in popular media since the mid-2010s through the television series Money Heist and the video games Hearts of Iron IV and Far Cry 6.[81][82][83]
Congressional hearing
On September 16, 2025, FBI director Kash Patel faced questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee about the investigation and criticism for his social media posts about it. He said that over 20 users on a Discord discussion group that included the alleged shooter would be investigated.[84] Patel has faced criticism for his leadership and handling of the case from federal and local officials, with particular focus on his social media claim on the day of the shooting that a suspect was in custody, only to retract his statement 90 minutes later. The hearing devolved into a shouting match after Patel criticized Democratic Senator Adam Schiff as "the biggest fraud ever", a "disgrace", an "utter coward", and a "political buffoon".[85] Patel's handling of the case received bipartisan criticism, and came after a large upheaval at the agency under Patel's leadership that involved widespread reassignments, firings, and loyalty tests. The shooting also occurred hours after a lawsuit of former FBI agents accused Patel of a politically-motivated purge of agency leadership.[86]
Accused
Tyler James Robinson (born April 16, 2003)[87] was recognized by his parents from released images of the alleged shooter.[88] After convincing their son to show up to their residence in Washington, Utah they contacted the bishop of their Mormon congregation, who is a retired sheriff's deputy. The retired deputy then called the Washington County sheriff, who took Robinson into custody.[89] (Robinson was fearful of being shot by police, or SWAT team being sent to his parents' house.)[90] Gov. Cox said later that day that Robinson was the only suspect.[91][92] The manhunt had lasted 33 hours.[93]
At the time of his arrest, Robinson was 22 years old and living in St. George, Utah, some 240 miles (390km) southwest of Utah Valley University.[94][95] He was in his third year of an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College.[96] He had previously enrolled at Utah State University but dropped out after one semester.[96] From 2019 to 2021, while still in high school, he earned college credit from Dixie State University.[96] Robinson's family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,[97] and Robinson's grandmother said the entire family are Republicans and Trump supporters.[98] Childhood photos show the Robinson family on trips to shoot guns and see weapons displays.[99] Robinson's mother told prosecutors that her son had become more political over the last year and had started to lean more to the left, becoming more pro-LGBT rights-oriented.[88] Robinson was registered to vote but not affiliated with any party, and there is no record of him voting in Washington County (of which St. George is the county seat).[100] Robinson had no criminal record prior to his arrest.[101]
Investigation
Investigators interviewed Robinson's roommate, who was reported to be transgender and in a romantic relationship with Robinson.[99] The roommate, who was not considered a suspect,[99] was described as being "aghast" and "shocked" by the shooting and claimed to have had no knowledge about the crime.[102][103][99] Governor Cox said that the roommate had been "very cooperative" with investigators,[103] and had turned over private messages incriminating Robinson which discussed the "need to retrieve a rifle from a drop point, leaving the rifle in a bush, messages related to visually watching the area where a rifle was left, and a message referring to having left the rifle wrapped in a towel."[104] The messages also referenced a scope and engraved bullets.[104]
After the shooting, in a private Discord group chat where someone said he looked like the man in the initial suspect images, Robinson reportedly joked that he had a doppelgänger who was trying to frame him, that the group should give him a cut of the FBI reward money for turning him in, that he would avoid going to McDonald's (a reference to Luigi Mangione, who was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania), and that he would get rid of his manifesto and rifle.[105][99] Another recovered message, posted later the same day, read: "Hey guys, I have bad news for you all. It was me at UVU yesterday. im[sic] sorry for all of this. im [sic] surrendering through a sheriff friend in a few moments, thanks for all the good times and laughs, you've all been so amazing, thank you all for everything."[106] Discord suspended his account.[106] A friend in the Discord group wrote the next morning that the confession appeared to be true while also calling for prayers, both for Robinson's repentance, and for Kirk's family.[106]
On September 15, the FBI announced that Robinson's DNA matched that found on a towel wrapping the suspected rifle and on a screwdriver found on the roof from where the shot was fired.[107]
Motive
On September 14, Governor Cox said that Robinson had very different political views than those of his conservative family and clearly adhered to "leftist ideology",[108][109][110] although he did not provide specifics.[111] According to Cox, Robinson appears to have become radicalized after dropping out of Utah State University and may have been influenced by aspects of Internet culture. Cox also said that one of Robinson's relatives had told investigators that during a family dinner, Robinson had expressed dislike of Kirk and discussed his upcoming visit to Utah Valley University.[112]
On September 16, prosecutor Jeff Gray stated that the "suspect had become increasingly concerned about gay and trans rights" and that he had grown apart from his father's political views. Gray further outlined details of text messages that the prosecution believes Robinson sent to his roommate, which stated that he had been planning the shooting for just over a week. When the roommate asked why Robinson had done it, he answered, "I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out."[88]
Legal proceedings
After his arrest, Robinson was transferred to the Utah County jail in Spanish Fork, where a judge ordered him held without bail.[113] He made his first court appearance by video feed on September 16 before the Utah County Justice Court in Provo.[93] Incarcerated in the Special Housing Unit, Robinson, who wore an anti-suicide smock,[114] was stoic throughout the proceedings, and only spoke to repeat his name when requested by the court.[115]
Judge Tony Graf then read Robinson the charges.[116] Robinson was charged with Kirk's murder, as well as one count of felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice and witness tampering, and one count of violence committed in the presence of a child.[117] Utah state prosecutors announced that they would seek the death penalty,[3][4] citing aggravating factors; Robinson allegedly targeted Kirk for his political expression and acted knowing children would witness the killing.[2]
After reviewing Robinson's declaration of financial status, Graf deemed Robinson indigent and affirmed his right to a public defender.[118] He required the attorneys assigned to Robinson to submit outlines of their qualifications for capital cases.[119] Because the local public defender was not contracted for death penalty work, a search for qualified counsel was begun, and several candidates met with Robinson on September 16.[120] Graf scheduled the next hearing, a "waiver apperance",[121] for September 29 and invited Robinson to join.[122]
Reactions and analysis
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Domestic response
President Donald Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office about the shooting; September 10, 2025.Vice President JD Vance hosting Kirk's podcast in his honor; September 15, 2025
Some politicians linked the shooting to broader political debates. Some congressional Republicans blamed Democrats and accused the left of inciting violence with rhetoric.[132][133] Democrats and some news media countered that Trump's divisive rhetoric was also a factor in coarsening public debate, and that political violence had impacted both parties. Democrats also cited the killing to further discussions of gun safety legislation.[134] Some Republicans used the killing to condemn liberal beliefs and ideology as evil.[7] On September 11, a letter was published online from 16 Congressional Republicans to House speaker Johnson calling for a statue to be erected in Kirk's memory in the U.S. Capitol.[135]
Although President Trump claimed that "the radicals on the left are the problem" with political violence, 75% of extremist killings in the U.S. from 2013 through 2022 were caused by right-wing perpetrators. From 2022 through 2024, all 61 political killings were committed by right-wing extremists.
The New York Times described Trump as condemning political violence but only on the left, while downplaying or seemingly excusing political violence on the right;[139][140] it described him as abandoning the traditional presidential role as a unifier to instead blame his opponents and vow revenge.[6] In his nationwide address, Trump solely blamed the radical left for Kirk's and other recent deaths, saying they "compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis"; Trump did not express concern about recent Democratic victims of violence.[141][134]The Atlantic criticized the response for blaming his political opponents as accessories to murder,[142] and NBC News called Trump's response "far more polarizing than many of the other messages offered by politicians and representatives of both parties".[134]The Economist noted that contrary to Trump's accusations, most perpetrators of political violence in recent years have been right-leaning.[33] Trump ordered all Federal government flags to be flown at half-staff until September 14 at 6p.m. in Kirk's honor.[41] Critics noted that Trump had not done the same when Democratic Minnesota representative Melissa Hortman was killed in her home in June.[143][23][144] Trump later released a video tribute to Kirk and announced he would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[145]
In response to Trump, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, himself the target of an arson attack a few months earlier, said: "The president shouldn't cherry-pick what counts and what doesn't count. When he does that, it gives a pass to some. We can't have that. This is a moment where leaders need to speak and act with moral clarity, where we need to condemn this type of violence in our communities, in our politics."[146] The next day, Trump stated, "We have radical left lunatics out there and we just have to beat the hell out of them", but later said he hoped his supporters would be nonviolent.[147] During a Fox & Friends interview on September 12, when asked by co-host Ainsley Earhardt how he would fix the country and about the presence of radical individuals on both sides of the political aisle, Trump responded: "I'll tell you something that's going to get me in trouble, but I couldn't care less. The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don't want to see crime", adding: "The radicals on the left are the problem."[148][149] On September 15, Trump called the left "scum" and stated: "If you look at the problem, the problem is on the left. It's not on the right."[150] Experts on political violence described the rush to assign blame as potentially leading to more conflict.[37]
Johnson held a 30-second moment of silence in the U.S. House of Representatives for Kirk, observed by all House members. Following disagreements on the floor, the event descended into partisan rancor and accusations by both sides.[151] Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that The Pentagon is "tracking ... very closely" any civilian and military employee who is a Kirk detractor or who celebrated his death, to impose punishment.[152][153] Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged social media users to turn in foreign residents of the U.S. who mocked or celebrated Kirk's death.[154] The U.S. State Department said it would review the legal status of immigrants found to be "praising, rationalizing, or making light" of Kirk's killing.[155] White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said Kirk's killing was the result of an "ideology" that is "at war with family and nature ... that leads, always, inevitably and willfully, to violence", and must be defeated.[156][157] He reiterated his position on Fox News, and said that Kirk's final message to him urged him to "dismantle and take on the radical left organizations in this country that are fomenting violence." Miller promised to do so using "the power of law enforcement, under President Trump's leadership".[158][159][160]Elon Musk said that "people on the left" were celebrating Kirk's death and commented: "Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die".[161][162]
Far-right activists like Laura Loomer called for violence and revenge in the aftermath of Kirk's killing,[163] and posted identifying details about people they accused of celebrating or justifying Kirk's death.[164] An organization initially named Expose Charlie's Murderers (later rebranded to the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation) collected more than 63,000 submissions of public comments about Kirk.[165] A number of politicians, public figures, and public and private-sector workers faced firings, investigations and suspensions over their comments about the killing.[166] A student at Texas Tech University was expelled and arrested after disrupting a vigil memorializing Kirk, and another was expelled from Texas State soon after for similar.[167][168] Several people were falsely identified as having made comments about Kirk or his death, including a Wisconsin elementary school teacher and an IT technician for Walmart whose family had to flee their home after he was doxed.[165]
International responses
Spanish politician Santiago Abascal four days after Kirk's death, holding a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot
European illiberal and far-right leaders used Kirk's murder to galvanize their supporters and denounce the left. Orbán said "We must stop the hate-mongering left!", Jordan Bardella of the French National Rally blamed the “dehumanising rhetoric of the left and its intolerance [which] fuels political violence", and Alice Weidel of Alternative for Germany said that Kirk had been killed by "a fanatic who hates our way of life"[172]Vox and Patriots.eu president Santiago Abascal paid tribute to Kirk during the party's annual convention, Europa Viva 25[es], in Madrid, by wearing a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot.[173] In the United Kingdom, Tommy Robinson used Kirk's murder to mobilize support for the anti-immigration Unite the Kingdom rally in London on September 13.[174]
On September 11, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) and Europe of Sovereign Nations Group (ESN Group), the right-wing and far-right political groups in the European Parliament, put forward a motion to hold a minute of silence to honor Kirk. The motion was rejected by Parliament president Roberta Metsola, although Swedish ECR Group MEP Charlie Weimers was permitted to make a statement on Kirk's shooting before the voting session began. Weimers' attempt to yield part of his time for a moment of silence was interrupted by Parliament vice president Katarina Barley.[175] French (Renew Europe) MEP Nathalie Loiseau said that she had received death threats after opposing the minute of silence, and commented that even though Kirk was a victim, he "would have been considered a delinquent in France" for his "racist, antisemitic and homophobic" opinions.[176]Valérie Hayer, leader of the Renew Europe group, similarly said that the European Parliament should not honor Kirk because of his "supremacist", "racist", anti-abortion and "pro-Russian" views.[177]
Media
News of Charlie Kirk's shooting and subsequent death dominated the day's news agenda, with major news networks entering into "breaking news mode" around 2:50 p.m. ET, upon receiving word that Kirk had been shot in the neck area, with rolling coverage continuing throughout the day.[178] Significant public interest in the event saw Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN all "drawing larger audiences than usual". On September 10, 2025, the three networks collectively averaged 6.9 million viewers, a 65% jump from the 4.2 million who watched a week earlier. September 11 saw the three networks draw a combined audience of 6.2 million, up 72% from the prior week's 3.6 million.[179] On September 12, Fox News hosted a primetime special titled Charlie Kirk: An American Original.[180] While condemning the shooting, publications including The National, The Nation, and The New Republic have accused the mass media of "whitewashing" Kirk's career by opting for a "sympathetic coverage" of his death rather than "critically engaging with his ideology".[181][182][183]
Fox News host Jesse Watters said, "They are at war with us ... We're going to avenge Charlie's death in the way he would want it avenged ... Charlie would want us to put as much pressure on these people as possible."[184][185] Progressive streamer Hasan Piker, who had been due to debate Kirk later in September, called the killing a "terrifying incident", and said: "The reverberation of people seeking out vengeance in the aftermath of this violent, abhorrent incident is going to be genuinely worrisome."[186]
On September 12, comedian Jimmy Kimmel commented on the killing on his ABClate-night talk showJimmy Kimmel Live!, remarking in his opening monologue that "With all of these terrible things happening, you would think our president will at least make an attempt to bring us together. But he didn’t. President Obama did. President Biden did. Presidents Bush and Clinton did. President Trump did not. Instead, he blamed Democrats. For their rhetoric."[187] On the September 15 episode, Kimmel argued that the FBI was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them and with everything they can to score political points from it. In between the finger-pointing, there was grieving." The comments were criticized by FCC chief Brendan Carr, who stated in an interview with Benny Johnson that it was "the sickest conduct possible", and threatened possible actions against ABC—including the revocation of the broadcast licenses of its owned-and-operated stations—based on an assumption that their programming was not in the public interest. Deadline described the as FCC having limited legal authority in these cases, with the Commission having previously considered that "the public interest is best served by permitting free expression of views", and that "rather than suppress speech, communications law and policy seeks to encourage responsive 'counter-speech' from others".[188] On September 17, Nexstar Media Group announced that they would pre-empt Kimmel on their 32 ABC affiliated stations "for the foreseeable future".[189] ABC then announced that it would suspend Kimmel indefinitely.[188][190]Variety described the suspension coming "in an era when the White House and the Federal Communications Commission pounce on individual reports with comments and legal pushback" and after "several prominent conservatives have called for any critic of [Kirk's] work to be silenced, no matter how nuanced the argument may be".[191][192]
Popular culture
On September 11, Comedy Central announced that it would be cancelling all scheduled reruns of the South Park episode "Got a Nut", in which the character of Eric Cartman portrays a parodic version of Kirk.[193] This followed an online campaign to have the show cancelled over its satirical portrayal of Kirk so close to his death.[194] Kirk himself had expressed appreciation for his parody in the episode, describing it as "hilarious".[195]
Several National Football League and Major League Baseball teams paid tribute to Kirk in their games following his death, although teams in both leagues faced criticism from fans for either honoring Kirk due to his beliefs or not honoring Kirk despite having honored other people and causes in years past.[196][197][198]
News of Kirk's death prompted fervent reactions on social media.[202][203][204]The New York Times described social media as featuring heartfelt messages from the left and right, anguish about political violence, and sharply partisan and political takes.[5] A remark Kirk had made following the 2023 Nashville school shooting–"It's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights"–was reposted numerous times on social media after the shooting.[5]
Several far-right figures encouraged retaliatory violence against Democrats and saw the death as a recruiting event.[163][205][156] Before the shooter's identity and motivations were known, several influential right-wing voices called for vengeance and war.[132][206][133] A website called "Expose Charlie's Murderers" invited users to submit links to people celebrating his murder.[130][205] Three days after the shooting, the site had accumulated 30,000 submissions; cybersecurity experts characterized the site as a means to coordinate harassment, and as an echo of Turning Point USA's Professor Watchlist.[207][186]Reuters reported that some right-wing influencers, who encouraged reporting social media posts, had previously mocked political violence; Reuters cited comments from a number of right-wing activists, including Kirk, about past events including the attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.[208]
According to the Associated Press, uncensored videos of Kirk being shot spread across social media with "lightning speed".[209]Politico described the speed of the video's reach on social media as a result of major platforms as having "dismantled many of their safeguards against toxic content — in many cases to avoid Republican criticism".[210] U.S. representative Anna Paulina Luna called on social media platforms to remove the video. The Tech Transparency Project, a nonprofit watchdog organization, reported that Instagram's teen accounts, which are designed with additional safety features for teens, could readily find videos of the shooting. Organizations that monitor media for children, including Common Sense Media and parental controls app Bark, reported spikes in traffic following the shooting as parents sought out advice on how to talk to their kids about it and prevent them from seeing the video. The day after the shooting, most of the graphic videos had been removed from social media, although they still showed up in searches and algorithmic feeds, particularly on Twitter and TikTok.[211] In the days after the shooting, social media platforms including Meta, YouTube, Reddit, and Bluesky issued statements denouncing posts that glorified Kirk's killing, which in extreme cases included incitement to violence against other right-wing commentators.[212]
On September 15, JD Vance called on Americans to report those celebrating Kirk's killing to their employers and promised to use the federal government to investigate and punish liberal organizations and donors. The Associated Press described the campaign as having "broadened to include even those whose statements were critical of Kirk without celebrating his assassination". Adam Goldstein of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression described the shift as a form of right-wing cancel culture, noting that people were being targeted for simply quoting Kirk or failing to mourn his passing adequately. Goldstein said that "government involvement in this does inch this closer to looking like McCarthyism".[14]
Public reaction
Opinion polling
Public concern about political violence was high after Kirk's killing. In a YouGov poll, 87% agreed that political violence is a problem today. However, a minority—7% of conservatives and 18% of liberals—said that political violence "can sometimes be justified". Of those aged 18–29, 22% agreed, while only 3% over 65 did. YouGov said that public attitudes have varied over time depending on the identity of the victims, with concern rising more after an attack on a member of one's own party.[213] Other outlets noted earlier polls with differing results: in a May 2025 poll, roughly 20% of both parties considered violence "acceptable" for political ends,[36] while in two polls from 2023 and 2024, roughly 10% of Democrats and 30% of Republicans said that violence may be "necessary".[214][215] A September 2025 poll by FIRE found that over 30% of college students supported the use of violence to stop a speaker—an increase from 20% in 2020.[216] According to G. Elliott Morris, such polling exaggerates approval of political violence. Asking more precise questions, less than 5% condone violent felonies, with little difference between parties.[217] Furthermore, individuals tend to significantly overestimate approval of violence within the other party, and are less likely to support it themselves when informed of the actual statistics.[218]
The day after the shooting, a YouGov poll asked if it was acceptable to be happy at the death of a public figure; 56% said it was never acceptable, 22% said it was usually unacceptable, 6% said it was usually acceptable, and 3% said it was always acceptable. Republicans were more likely than Democrats and independents to say that it was always rather than usually unacceptable.[219][220] In a September 14 poll, 51% said that the person who assassinated Kirk was driven by political beliefs, including 63% of Republican, 44% of Democrats and 46% independents. 40% of respondents were not sure of the political affiliations of the killer, 24% said they believed he was a Republican, 21% a Democrat, and 15% affiliated with neither. Members of each party were most likely to believe that he was affiliated with the other.[221][222]
Vigils and donations
Following Kirk's death, a mural and memorial site were set up on the Utah Valley University campus, close to the site of the shooting.[63] A number of candlelight vigils mostly, but not exclusively, organized by Turning Point, have taken place in various cities across the United States.[223] Similar vigils have also been held in Australia,[224] Canada,[225] France,[226] Germany,[227] Italy,[227] Malta,[228] Spain,[227] South Africa,[226] and the United Kingdom.[224][229] Several online fundraisers were set up in Kirk's name to honor his legacy and provide financial support for the family. By September 14, all of the different fundraisers saw donations of over $6 million.[230]
Speculation and conspiracy theories
A lack of initial information sparked mass speculation about the killing.[231] Misinformation about the suspect was also widely shared on social media, including a doctored photo of him wearing a pro-Trump shirt, and false claims he was a registered Republican, had donated to Trump's campaign, or was a registered member of the Democratic Socialists of America.[232][233]Politico reported that Russia, China, and Iran spread disinformation using social media bots to inflame divisions and promote their foreign policy objectives.[234]Artificial intelligence tools such as Grok, Perplexity AI, and AI Overviews also disseminated misinformation.[235] Hours after the shooting, right-wing media and commentators began speculating that the shooter was transgender because Kirk was in the middle of answering a question about transgender people when he was shot.[236][237]The New York Times noted that this was "a grim coincidence that has fed into online conspiracies and speculation" and Hunter Kozak, who asked Kirk the question, later said: "I couldn't have asked a worse question."[238]
Before the identity of the suspect was known, misinformation on social media attempted to link multiple trans people to the shooting, including Skye Valadez, a trans musician from Ogden, Utah, who reportedly uploaded a song to SoundCloud a month prior that seemed to predict Kirk's death, but has since removed it.[239][240] At the same time, an X user with the handle @NajraGalvz who claimed to be a UVU student by the name of "Omar" allegedly made a post the day before the shooting saying "something big" would happen the next day at Utah Valley University. A screenshot of the post, along with a photo of a trans woman that was edited to be under the account's handle, went viral. However, fact checkers revealed that the photo had been stolen from another unrelated account belonging to a trans woman named Michaela from Seattle, Washington, who had nothing to do with the shooting. Despite this, Michaela reported receiving hundreds of messages containing death threats and harassment from right-wing social media users accusing her of being the shooter. Michaela contacted the FBI to report the harassment, but expressed doubt that law enforcement could protect her from the attacks.[241][242] Meanwhile, @NajraGalvz later changed their username after denying involvement in the crime and another person adopted the handle to stop it from being hijacked for scams.[241] Other online conspiracies falsely attempted to claim Skye Valadez and @NajraGalvz were the same person.[243][242]
Early reporting, notably in The Wall Street Journal, falsely reported that the inscriptions on the bullets were found as having messaging related to "transgender ideology", citing what they claimed was an internal bulletin of the ATF.[244] These reports were met with calls for caution from trans journalists—who said that "transgender ideology" was a term commonly used in right-wing circles to frame transgender identity as a political choice—and The New York Times reported that a senior law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said that the alleged bulletin had not been verified, and that it did not match other summaries of evidence; however, prominent conservative figures still seized on The Wall Street Journal's report to call for further action against the trans community, including banning pride flags and incarcerating all transgender people en masse.[244][245][246][247][248] Following these reports, Google searches for "transgender ideology" spiked throughout the country, especially in Utah.[236] When the details of the actual messages, which did not contain any such references, were made public, the Human Rights Campaign published an open letter demanding a retraction and a public apology for publishing of the misinformation, saying: "This reporting was reckless and irresponsible, and it led to a wave of threats against the trans community from right-wing influencers—and a resulting wave of terror for a community that is already living in fear."[244][249][250]The Wall Street Journal later amended the story with a note from the editor but did not issue a retraction.[249][251][252]
More transgender conspiracy theories were spread after it was reported that the suspected shooter had a transgender partner, with some speculating that Robinson may have been motivated to kill Kirk because of Kirk's views and rhetoric on transgender people. Jacey Thornton, an executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group Rainbow Utah, noted that "It sounds like [they're] really stretching to find a way to tie this in to the trans community", adding that this is "very harmful to this ongoing dialogue that's happening, especially on social media".[99][102] It was also speculated by social media users that one of the inscriptions found on the bullets could be a reference to the far-right Groyper culture,[81] based in part on the adversarial stance that the Groypers had towards Kirk, such as during their 2019 heckling campaign.[253]Axios described these speculations as "baseless".[254] Groyper leader Nick Fuentes also rejected the speculation, stating that his followers were being "framed".[253][254]
Numerous conspiracy theories about the attack were posted online.[255] Political consultant Roger Stone said the attack appeared to have been "a professional hit either by a nation state, rogue elements of our own government or a terrorist organization".[231] One theory, promulgated by Russian state media RT, centered on people standing near Kirk, who were purported to have made "unusual gestures" before he was killed.[255][231] Several senior Russian officials, including former president Dmitry Medvedev and Kremlin negotiator Kirill Dmitriev, speculated without evidence on social media about a connection between Kirk's murder and United States support for Ukraine, because Kirk had been a critic of Western financial and political support for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.[256][257] New Zealand-based news website Stuff refuted a theory that the video of Kirk's death was purportedly faked due to Kirk's ring appearing to switch fingers, reporting that the ring "appeared to be hinged, meaning a latch opens and closes the ring on the finger".[258]
In the days immediately following the killing, conspiracy theories emerged about the involvement of Israel.[259][260][261] According to The New Republic, some commentators attempted to link the event to the Israeli Mossad and to Kirk's comments about the Epstein files.[262][260][261]The Forward reported that Maram Susli resurfaced an August 2025 post by an Infowars host claiming that Kirk believed "Israel will kill [him] if he turns against them".[261] Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the theories, calling them "insane".[260]
Aftermath
Government response
On September 15, the Trump administration threatened a widespread crackdown of liberal groups and donors, claiming without evidence that a network of liberal organizations promoted violence and would be dismantled. Trump stated he was looking into labeling some "terrorist organizations", and JD Vance promised to go after non-profits such as the Open Society Foundations and the Ford Foundation that had provided financial support for liberal and progressive causes. The New York Times suggested that First Amendment rights would make it difficult for the Trump administration to do so.[8] The announcement came amidst the Trump administration's concurrent widespread crackdowns on political opponents and civil society.[8][10][11]
The administration's threats against investigating and dismantling liberal groups received widespread criticism from free speech advocates and legal experts, who denounced the moves as using Kirk's killing as a pretext to crack down on political opposition.[12][13][11] NBC News described the Trump administration as appearing "to be using Kirk's assassination as an excuse to crack down on left-wing people and groups".[9] In response to Trump's threats, 100 liberal philanthropies wrote an open letter defending their work and criticizing the administrations intentions to dismantle them, writing that:[263]
"Organizations should not be attacked for carrying out their missions or expressing their values in support of the communities they serve. We reject attempts to exploit political violence to mischaracterize our good work or restrict our fundamental freedoms, like freedom of speech and the freedom to give. Attempts to silence speech, criminalize opposing viewpoints, and misrepresent and limit charitable giving undermine our democracy and harm all Americans."
Attorney General Pam Bondi received bipartisan pushback after stating the administration would target and prosecute some criticism against Kirk as "hate speech",[264] including veiled criticism by Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor.[265] Following by comments Bondi, Jonathan Karl of ABC News asked the president for his opinion on comments made by some of his allies who considered hate speech to be free speech. In response, Trump said that his administration would "probably go after people like you, because you treat me so unfairly, it's hate. You have a lot of hate in your heart."[266]
According to Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi lost confidence in FBI Director Kash Patel due to his handling of the investigation and manhunt.[267] A former federal prosecutor and legal analyst at MSNBC said Patel's actions could potentially hurt the accused's right to a fair trial.[268]
Since Kirk's killing, the U.S. Department of Justice reportedly removed a 2024 study,[269][270] titled "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism",[271] which showed that white supremacist and far-right violence "continues to outpace all other types of terrorism and domestic violent extremism" in the United States,[272] in contrast to Trump administration's claims.[273] It was replaced by a notice saying: "The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs is currently reviewing its websites and materials in accordance with recent Executive Orders and related guidance. During this review, some pages and publications will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."[272]
In the days after the shooting, multiple people—including teachers, firefighters, and members of the military and U.S. Secret Service—were fired from their jobs for social media posts that celebrated Kirk's killing or were seen as disparaging of his legacy, and many received death threats.[207][277][208]
Several educators across the U.S. were placed on leave due to negative comments made about Kirk online.[278][279][280] The Oxford Union initiated disciplinary proceedings against its then-president-elect George Abaraonye, who had debated Kirk earlier in the year, after he posted comments appearing to celebrate Kirk's killing.[281][282]Middle Tennessee State University fired Assistant Dean of Students Laura Sosh-Lightsy for "inappropriate and callous" social media remarks about Kirk's murder.[283][284] The University of Mississippi fired Lauren Stokes, an executive assistant to a vice chancellor, after she shared a post critical of Kirk following his assassination.[285][286]Clemson University terminated an employee and later dismissed two faculty members for "inappropriate" social media posts about Kirk's assassination (initially removing the professors from teaching before firing them).[287][288][289]
Media analyst Matthew Dowd was fired by MSNBC after he appraised Kirk as "one of the most divisive, especially divisive younger figures in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups. And I always go back to, hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions."[290][291] A reporter in Florida was suspended for asking Congressional Representative Randy Fine if the shooting would prompt him to rethink his opposition to gun control.[292]Karen Attiah was fired from The Washington Post after posting a quote of Kirk on social media stating that Black women, such as Joy Reid, Michelle Obama, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Ketanji Brown Jackson,[293] did not have "the brain processing power to be taken seriously".[294]
DC Comics cancelled Gretchen Felker-Martin's Red Hood book series one day after its debut, after the writer celebrated Kirk's death on Bluesky, saying "Hope the bullet's OK after hitting Kirk".[295][296] The Carolina Panthers fired football communications coordinator Charlie Rock after an Instagram story that referenced Kirk's death; the team said it "does not condone violence of any kind".[297][298] PHNX Sports parted ways with Phoenix Suns beat writer Gerald Bourguet over his social media posts about Kirk’s death.[299][300]
Nasdaq terminated a junior sustainability strategist for social media posts about Kirk, citing a "zero-tolerance policy toward violence and any commentary that condones or celebrates violence."[301] Law firm Perkins Coie fired a lawyer "effective immediately" over a post criticizing Kirk after his killing, saying the conduct fell "far short" of firm expectations.[302][303] The Broad Institute said an employee who posted a "deeply offensive" message about Kirk's killing "is no longer employed" at the institute.[304] REMSA Health fired an employee over a social media post about Kirk that the EMS provider said did not reflect its mission.[305] Office Depot dismissed an employee after a viral video showed staff refusing to print a poster for a Kirk vigil, calling it "propaganda",[306][307] and Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to prosecute the fired employee.[308]
A congressional staffer from Mexico's ruling National Regeneration Movement (Morena) resigned after comments he made about Kirk on a Milenio Televisión discussion panel were brought to the attention of Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who responded on Twitter with a reminder of the State Department's authority to revoke visas; the broadcaster also received a chiding from Landau, a former U.S. ambassador to Mexico, and subsequently issued an apology.[309][310]
↑ Tuminez, Astrid S.; Vaught, Wayne; Kearns, Michelle; Cullimore, Kyle; Meyer, Marilyn (September 10, 2025). "UVU Updated Alert: Campus Closure Until Monday, September 10, 2025". UVU Emergency Information. Retrieved September 11, 2025. As we grieve with our students, faculty, and staff who bore witness to this unspeakable tragedy, UVU campuses will be closed from September 11–14.
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