Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday, Sept. 10, prompting widespread controversy online.
Kirk was best known for founding and leading Turning Point USA and for spearheading what he described as the “free speech on college campuses” movement. He was first inspired to form Turning Point USA after being denied admission to the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Until his death, he claimed that the denial to West Point was due to affirmative action, though he never provided evidence to support this claim. Critics also accused him of spreading misinformation, including support for the right, such as his fervent support of the “great replacement theory.” A theory that has been widely discredited.
In his final public remarks, Kirk referenced gang violence perpetrated by prowling Blacks to use his own words.
Kirk was shot by a high-powered bolt-action rifle from a rooftop approximately 130 meters away from where he was debating college students at the Utah Valley University campus. Authorities apprehended a suspect and held him in custody. Tyler Robinson was arrested after turning himself in due to encouragement from his family members, who saw security footage and images being circulated by the police. There has been considerable speculation regarding his motives. Despite having been in custody for six days at the time of writing, little clarification of the shooter’s motivation has been offered.
Kirk’s death has had mixed reactions by any account. Reactions have ranged from Republican lawmakers submitting bills to create a memorial statue in his honor in the state capitol, and even one such dedication made in Israel, to criticisms of what opponents describe as violent white supremacist rhetoric and even “fan-cams” of his death set to Chappell Roan. What Republicans have called a less-than-respectful response to his passing has been met with extreme derision by Republican lawmakers.
U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins has outright declared his intent to use “congressional authority” to pressure tech giants to ban any users who interact with content that “belittle[s] the assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
Some conservative commentators and lawmakers have blamed the shooting on “left-wing radicals,” while at the same time condemning what they describe as a lack of respect for a “fallen hero.”
Despite this, as of writing, there is little evidence publicly available of any kind of left-leaning ideology held by the alleged shooter. This did not stop many media outlets, such as the Wall Street Journal, from running with stories about ammunition carried in the rifle used by the shooter, engraved with “transgender ideology.” Other subsequent reporting has claimed that the ammunition was engraved with references to internet memes like the input command to summon a 500-kilogram bomb in the satirical video game Helldivers 2.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson came from a conservative family but held “very different” beliefs.
The alleged shooter has been officially charged, and although prosecutors have chosen to enhance the charges by alleging the suspect’s targeting of Kirk was politically motivated evidence to support this claim has not been made public. An attorney has yet to be appointed for the suspect, and another hearing is scheduled for Monday, September 29.
TPUSA, the organization Kirk founded, has been known for its activism around “free speech” while also calling for restrictions on what it describes as “trans ideology.”
While students around the country and world expressed support for Kirk, on campus, reactions to his death varied: some students said the news brought a sense of relief, while others said it served as a reminder of the number of gun deaths in the United States.
Kirk undoubtedly had a significant impact on the discussions surrounding safety on college campuses, often advocating for less gun control in the wake of mass shootings. He once went on record to say that a loose interpretation of the Second Amendment is worth “some gun deaths every single year.”
According to CNN, there have been 47 school shootings this year, with one happening just hours after Kirk was shot.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
