Assassination of Charlie Kirk

during an earlier stop of his "American Comeback Tour" on February 28, 2025 Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA. A close ally of US president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his skills in social media and campus organizing to become a highly influential figure in the MAGA movement. Described as "something of a kingmaker" by The New York Times and as a "youth whisperer" by The Guardian, Kirk was able to rally support to protect embattled Trump cabinet nominees and against Republican Party figures he deemed insufficiently supportive of Trump. The Washington Post described him as "one of the most prominent voices on the right" in recent years. Axios described Kirk as a "driving force" in Trump's presidential campaigns. Kirk's assassination occurred during a period of deepening division and increasingly frequent violence in American politics. It followed a series of violent political incidents, including the June 2025 shootings of two Democratic Minnesota legislators and their spouses, the May 2025 killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., the April 2025 arson attack on Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro's residence, the December 2024 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and assassination attempts on Trump in July and September 2024. At a campaign event in Kentucky with Nate Morris in June 2025, Kirk himself spoke about the potential for violence. He told the crowd: "We're on the front lines where it's not always safe." Kirk's Utah Valley University appearance Turning Point USA announced on August 27 that Kirk would be visiting several college campuses during September–October 2025 as a continuation of a speech and debate series titled the American Comeback Tour, which began in February. Kirk's appearance at UVU was scheduled to be the first tour stop of the season. A petition was circulated calling on the university to cancel his tour appearance, but university officials permitted the speech, citing free speech and open discussion policies. Preventable flaws in how the event was coordinated and secured were revealed by Kirk's security director, including rooftop exposure, drone restrictions and staffing gaps in the days before the event. Security was provided by six police officers and Kirk's private security personnel. Although the event was ticketed, the ticketing was not enforced. Metal detectors were not used for entry to the event. == Timeline of the assassination ==

Officials stated the suspected gunman arrived on campus in a gray Dodge Challenger at 8:29a.m. MDT (UTC–6). Security camera footage examined by investigators showed that he was dressed differently than he was around the time of the shooting. Investigators said that the suspect reappeared on video at around 11:50a.m., when he moved through a grassy area into a parking lot just north of the campus. Authorities said the suspected gunman 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. Kozak asked "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?", to which Kirk responded, "Too many". Kozak followed up with, "In America, it's five. Now, five is a lot, right, I'm going to give you — I'm going to give you some credit. Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?" Kirk replied, "Counting or not counting gang violence?", and Kozak said, "Great". Immediately following this exchange, at 12:23:30p.m., Kirk was shot in the neck with a single bullet, which investigators believed had come from the roof of the Losee Center. 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." Former US 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." where he was later pronounced dead. His death was announced by Donald Trump at 2:40p.m. on Truth Social. 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. According to available audio, regional law enforcement became aware of the shooting no later than 12:26p.m. A UVU police officer was the first to investigate the suspected shooting position on the roof of the Losee Center. At 2:01p.m., the university instructed those remaining on campus to "secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus". Classes and activities at all campuses, including satellite locations, were suspended until September 15. == Manhunt ==

footage of a suspect jumping from the rooftop of a building following the shooting. The jumping starts at 18 seconds into the video. The Utah Department of Public Safety was investigating the crime with the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Initial arrests Two people were arrested soon after the shooting, but were later released. One was a libertarian conservative who was arrested on campus grounds after claiming to have shot Kirk. He later told police he "was glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away". He reportedly had a history of mental health issues and was known to Utah authorities for his habit of disrupting public events. On January 29, 2026, the man pleaded no contest to obstruction of justice, and pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of minors. He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Hours after the shooting, FBI director Kash Patel announced on social media that "the subject" in Kirk's assassination had been apprehended; Utah governor Spencer Cox said that a "person of interest" had been detained. Within two hours of making his initial announcement, Patel said that the subject had been "released after an interrogation by law enforcement". from a wooded area near the shooting, engraved cartridges, and "a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis". In a press conference on September 11, officials said that they had "good video footage" and were applying facial recognition technology to it. and offered up to $100,000 for information in the case. The investigators reported that cartridges found in the rifle were inscribed with various messages, which were rumored to be slogans relating to anti-fascist and "transgender ideology", but were described as a mix of Internet memes and popular culture after an FBI briefing on September 12 revealed the messages. The spent cartridge case was inscribed with "Notices Buldge OWO what's this?", a reference to furry online roleplay. Three unfired rounds were engraved with "hey fascist! CATCH! ↑→↓↓↓", the arrows referring to a sequence of inputs (code) used to summon a 500 kg bomb in the 2024 video game Helldivers 2, "O Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Bella ciao, Ciao, ciao!", a reference to the Italian anti-fascist song "Bella ciao" ("Goodbye, Beautiful"), and "If you read This, you are GAY Lmao". The song "Bella ciao" remains widely known as an anti-fascist anthem; however, it also resurfaced in popular media in the mid-2010s and early 2020s through the television series Money Heist and the video games Hearts of Iron IV and Far Cry 6. During the manhunt, law enforcement agencies reportedly received more than 7,000 leads related to the incident and conducted more than 200 interviews. Patel had previously faced criticism for his leadership and handling of the case from federal and local officials, with particular focus on his social media post on the day of the shooting that a suspect was in custody, a statement which he retracted 90 minutes later. The hearing escalated into a shouting match after California Senator Adam Schiff questioned Patel on why the FBI transferred child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell to a lesser-security prison. Patel called Schiff "the biggest fraud in the U.S. Senate", a "disgrace", an "utter coward", and a "political buffoon". , September 17, 2025 The next day, on September 17, Patel faced questions from the House Judiciary Committee about the assassination, as well as the files related to convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein. Patel used his opening statement to take credit for the decisions that he said helped lead to Robinson's arrest. During the hearing, Patel testified that he didn't know how many times Trump's name was mentioned in the Epstein files, but he was confident Trump was not implicated. Rep. Jamie Raskin accused Patel of running a "political enforcement agency working directly for the president's vengeance campaign". However, a trial never took place as Crooks was shot and killed by a Secret Service counter sniper team shortly after taking the shots. == Accused ==

restaurant six hours after allegedly carrying out the assassination A 22-year-old American man, Tyler James Robinson (born April 16, 2003), was identified as the suspect. The day after the shooting, his parents convinced him to come to their residence in Washington, Utah, after they recognized his likeness from news images that authorities alleged were of the shooter. As they discussed the situation, Robinson allegedly implied that he was the shooter. Robinson also told them he was fearful of being shot by police or a SWAT team being sent to his parents' house. His parents contacted a family friend who was a retired detective and sheriff's deputy. The retired detective called Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby and made arrangements for Robinson to surrender. He and Robinson's father then drove Robinson to the sheriff's office the evening of September 11 and Robinson was taken into custody without incident. Governor Spencer Cox said the next day that Robinson was the only suspect. The manhunt had lasted 33 hours. Local law enforcement officials have alleged that Robinson had acted irrationally, and that he might have considered committing suicide during the timeframe of the manhunt. Prosecutors filed seven charges against Robinson, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. If found guilty of aggravated murder, Robinson could face the death penalty. Robinson was raised in Washington, Utah, alongside his two younger brothers. Robinson's family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Robinson's grandmother said most of the family are Republicans, and added that she did not know "a single Democrat". Childhood photographs show the Robinson family on trips to shoot guns and see weapons displays, including a visit to a military facility in 2017. In 2008, Robinson began attending Riverside Elementary School. He graduated from Pine View High School in May 2021, while earning college credit from Dixie State University (renamed to Utah Tech University in 2020) from 2019 to 2021. On May 31, 2022, Robinson and two family members appeared in a police body camera video being questioned by law enforcement after a traffic collision at an intersection. At the time of his arrest, Robinson was living in St. George, Utah, some southwest of Utah Valley University. He was in his third year of an electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College. The messages also referenced a scope and engraved bullets. Approximately an hour after the shooting, Robinson asked someone in a private Discord group chat of which he was a member if they saw the news. One of the other members said that Robinson looked like the man in the suspect images released by the FBI. 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, for allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson), and that he would get rid of his manifesto and rifle. 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. On September 15, the FBI announced that Robinson's DNA matched that found on a towel that was wrapped around the suspected rifle and on a screwdriver found on the roof from where the shot was fired. Views and possible motives Utah County prosecutor Jeffrey Gray said that Robinson's mother told investigators that her son had become more political over the last year and had started to "lean more to the left, becoming more pro-gay and trans rights–oriented". Robinson had no criminal record prior to his arrest. On September 14, Governor Cox said that Robinson had very different political views than those of his conservative family and adhered to "leftist ideology", although he did not provide specifics. According to Cox, Robinson appeared 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. On September 16, Gray stated that the "suspect had become increasingly concerned about gay and trans rights" and that he had grown apart from his family's conservative views, citing Robinson's relationship with his transgender roommate as a factor. 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." While talking with his father over the phone on September 11, Robinson allegedly told his father that he had killed Kirk because "there is too much evil and the guy [Kirk] spreads too much hate". According to ABC News, the charging documents did not "indicate the relevance of those stances or whether Kirk's remarks about those issues were a motivating factor", and reported "Gray said he would let a judge determine whether the statements allegedly made constituted a confession." == Legal proceedings ==

After his arrest, Robinson was transferred to Utah County Jail in Spanish Fork, where a judge ordered him held without bail. He made his first court appearance by video feed on September 16 before Judge Tony Graf in the Utah County Justice Court in Provo. Robinson's family have since been visiting him virtually and occasionally in-person. Graf read Robinson the charges, which included one count of aggravated murder, one count of felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, three counts of victim targeting enhancement, and one count of violence committed in the presence of a child. citing aggravating factors; Robinson allegedly targeted Kirk for his political expression and had acted knowing children would witness the assassination. On September 24, Salt Lake City attorney Kathryn Nester was appointed to defend Robinson. On September 29, Nester asked the judge for more time to review the large amount of evidence in the case before deciding if the defense would seek a preliminary hearing. On October 24, a judge heard arguments over whether Robinson could wear civilian clothes and appear unrestrained during future court appearances; the defense argued that Robinson appearing in a prison uniform would undermine his right to a fair trial. On October 27, the judge ruled that Robinson could wear civilian clothes, although, citing security concerns, the judge also ruled that Robinson would have to remain physically restrained. The judge did prohibit members of the media from photographing or filming Robinson's restraints. On November 5, following a motion from the prosecution to limit media coverage in the courtroom while Robinson was present, a number of media organizations, spearheaded by The Salt Lake Tribune, and including The New York Times, CNN, the Associated Press, and Fox News, filed a motion asking the court to notify them of any future requests to limit access to proceedings. Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, supported the media's request, saying: "There have been cameras all over me. We deserve to have cameras in there." Robinson made his first in-person court appearance on December 11. He made his next court appearance on January 16, 2026. On January 22, Erika, out of concern for the trial potentially being delayed, filed a speedy trial motion to the court to ensure Robinson was tried within a certain amount of time. On March 27, Robinson's attorneys filed a motion to delay future court proceedings, citing claims that an analysis from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) could not conclusively connect a bullet fragment recovered during Kirk’s autopsy to the rifle allegedly used in the assassination. On the same day, Washington County Sheriff Nate Brooksby, who initially took Robinson into custody, resigned from the department following complaints concerning its operations. A preliminary hearing is scheduled to begin May 18, and last three days. == Aftermath ==

Government hosting Kirk's podcast in his honor on September 15, 2025 Following Kirk's assassination, Republican government officials at the state and federal levels called on the public to turn in anyone who made statements about the assassination that were considered inappropriate or distasteful. The campaign later broadened to also include statements that were critical of Kirk. The New York Times has described the campaign as morphing into a conservative version of "cancel culture". On September 15, the Trump administration threatened a widespread crackdown of liberal groups and donors, asserting that a network of liberal organizations promoted violence and would be dismantled. Trump stated he was looking into labeling some "terrorist organizations", and Vice President 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. The announcement came amidst the Trump administration's concurrent widespread crackdowns on political opponents and civil society. 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 assassination as a pretext to crack down on political opposition. In response to Trump's threats, 100 liberal philanthropies wrote an open letter defending their work and criticizing the administration's intentions to dismantle them, writing: Attorney General Pam Bondi received bipartisan pushback after stating the administration would target and prosecute some criticism against Kirk as "hate speech", including veiled criticism by Supreme Court justice Sonia Sotomayor. Bondi's comment was also criticized by some conservative political commentators, including Tucker Carlson and Erick Erickson. Following the comments by 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." According to Fox News, Bondi lost confidence in FBI director Kash Patel due to his handling of the investigation and manhunt. A former federal prosecutor and legal analyst at MSNBC said Patel's actions could potentially hurt the accused's right to a fair trial. Since Kirk's assassination, the US Department of Justice reportedly removed a 2024 study, titled "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism", 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, in contrast to statements made by the Trump administration. 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." White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller said Kirk's assassination was the result of an "ideology" that is "at war with family and nature ... that leads, always, inevitably and willfully, to violence". He later vowed to "dismantle and take on" the violent radical left organizations in the United States by using "the power of law enforcement, under President Trump's leadership". On September 17, one week after the shooting, Trump declared that he would designate antifa as a terrorist group. On September 25, Trump signed a national security memorandum to direct the Justice Department, the FBI, and Joint Terrorism Task Force to focus on anti-fascist political violence "before they result in violent political acts", citing "indicators" such as anti-capitalism, anti-Americanism, and "hostility towards those who hold traditional American views". In January 2026, Utah Senator Mike Lee called for Robinson to be publicly executed. Robinson's lawyers argued that such comments by public officials may make it more difficult to find fair, unprejudiced jurors. A whistleblower report shared by Illinois senator Dick Durbin in February 2026 stated that the FBI's shooting reconstruction team was delayed in reaching the scene by one day due to a plane and pilot shortage caused by FBI director Kash Patel's use of agency planes for personal use. Funeral, memorials, and posthumous honors On September 11, Kirk's casket, accompanied by United States vice president JD Vance, second lady Usha Vance, and Erika, was transported on Air Force Two from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Phoenix, Arizona. Trump ordered all federal government flags to be flown at half-staff until September 14 at 6 p.m. in Kirk's honor. The New York Times criticized Trump's comments, and described him as abandoning the traditional presidential role as a unifier to instead blame his opponents and vow revenge. Trump later released a video tribute to Kirk and announced that he would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. at her husband's memorial on September 21, 2025 Also 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 US Capitol. On September 15, New College of Florida announced plans to erect a statue of Kirk on its campus in Sarasota. Various government officials such as Karoline Leavitt, Mike Johnson, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gathered at a prayer vigil at the Kennedy Center on September 14 to honor and give remarks on Kirk's life and work. During the service, Trump said in part that Kirk "did not hate his opponents. He wanted the best for them. That's where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponent, and I don't want the best for them." During an interview on Fox & Friends on September 19, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Catholic Church likened Kirk to a modern-day Saint Paul. Firings over comments Following the assassination of Kirk, there were widespread terminations or suspensions of workers and students for comments or social media posts either celebrating Kirk's death or alleged to be critical of Kirk or of Republican efforts to capitalize on his death. Those fired included teachers, firefighters, and members of the military and US Secret Service; many received death threats. Far-right activists like Laura Loomer called for violence and revenge, and doxxed people they accused of celebrating or justifying Kirk's death. An organization initially named Expose Charlie's Murderers (later rebranded to the Charlie Kirk Data Foundation) reportedly collected more than 63,000 submissions of public comments about Kirk. According to Epik, the domain was registered using false information, and they had received credible DDoS threats. 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. Several people were mistakenly identified as having made hateful 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 doxxed. On the September 15 episode, Kimmel said the "MAGA gang" was "desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them" and was trying to "score political points" from the crime rather than sincerely grieving. FCC chief Brendan Carr said Kimmel appeared to "directly mislead the American public" and threatened possible actions against ABC, including the revocation of the broadcast licenses of its owned-and-operated stations. On September 17, Nexstar Media Group announced that they would pre-empt Kimmel on their 32 ABC affiliated stations "for the foreseeable future". Nexstar had been seeking FCC approval for a $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna Inc. at the time. Variety described the suspension coming after "several prominent conservatives have called for any critic of [Kirk's] work to be silenced, no matter how nuanced the argument may be". Kimmel's show ultimately returned days later after a public backlash. On September 15, while hosting Kirk's podcast, Vice President Vance called on Americans to report those celebrating Kirk's assassination 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". Senator Ted Cruz denounced the FCC's act by calling it "unbelievably dangerous for government to put itself in the position of saying, 'We're going to decide what speech we like and what we don't, and we're going to threaten to take you out there if we don't like what you're saying, and noting that this behavior could be used against conservatives in the future. == Reactions and analysis ==

Shortly after Kirk's death, Erika spoke to viewers in a livestream from his old podcast studio at Turning Point USA's headquarters. She began the broadcast by thanking first responders, Kirk's staff, and the White House, and she pledged: "My husband's voice will remain." She also called for retribution on "evil-doers", stating: "You have no idea the fire that you have ignited within this wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry." In a later interview with The New York Times, Erika explained how she pushed to see Kirk's body against advisement by law enforcement. She reportedly told authorities, "With all due respect, I want to see what they did to my husband", before kissing him goodbye and stating that he looked like he died happy with a "Mona Lisa-like half smile". Domestic response addressing the nation from the Oval Office about the shooting, September 10, 2025 The shooting saw bipartisan condemnation from politicians. Messages of sympathy came from United States president Donald Trump, vice president JD Vance, first lady Melania Trump, House speaker Mike Johnson, Senate majority leader John Thune, and former president George W. Bush, among other Republicans. Democratic politicians condemned the shooting, including former presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, California governor Gavin Newsom, and Minnesota representative Ilhan Omar. Politicians linked the shooting to broader political debates. Several congressional Republicans blamed Democrats and accused the left of inciting violence with rhetoric. Democrats and several analysts 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 discussion of gun safety legislation. In his nationwide address, Trump solely blamed the radical left for Kirk's and other recent deaths, and did not mention recent Democratic victims of violence. The New York Times, and Time, noted that contrary to Trump's accusations, most perpetrators of political violence have been right-leaning, a research finding that has been repeatedly confirmed. A week after the assassination, the Department of Justice deleted from its website "What NIJ Research Tells Us About Domestic Terrorism", a 2024 study from its National Institute of Justice that found that the majority of ideologically motivated homicides in the United States since 1990 (excluding the September 11 attacks) had been committed by right-wing extremists. In response to Trump, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, himself the target of an arson attack some 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." 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. During a Fox & Friends interview on September 12, when asked about the presence of radicals on both political sides, 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 ... The radicals on the left are the problem." Trump's adviser Stephen Miller said that left-wing political organizations constitute "a vast domestic terror movement" and that "we are going to use every resource we have ... throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks". as well as both far-right commentators and Trump critics, have compared Kirk's killing to the Reichstag fire—the 1933 arson of the German parliament building that Hitler used as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and prosecute political opposition How Democracies Die author, professor Steven Levitsky, argued that exploiting Kirk's killing to justify unleashing attacks on critics is "page one of the authoritarian playbook". Experts on political violence described the rush to assign blame as potentially leading to more conflict. 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. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau urged social media users to turn in foreign residents of the US who mocked or celebrated Kirk's death. Elon Musk said in a video clip that "people of the left" were celebrating Kirk's death, commenting: "Whether you choose violence or not, violence is coming to you. You either fight back or you die." At the end of September, Musk called the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) a "hate group" and accused it of being anti-Christian in nature. This came after the assassination brought new attention to the ADL's historical work on right-wing antisemitism and other alleged extremism which included TPUSA and Kirk. Following the backlash from Musk and other prominent conservatives, the FBI cut ties with the ADL and Director Kash Patel made a statement condemning the ADL. ADL announced that it was retiring its "Glossary of Extremism" because "an increasing number of entries in the Glossary were outdated". International responses Kirk's death garnered messages of condolence from world leaders and foreign politicians. Argentine president Javier Milei, Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, British prime minister Keir Starmer and foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, the French foreign ministry, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, New Zealand deputy prime minister David Seymour, Polish president Karol Nawrocki, Swedish deputy prime minister Ebba Busch, and the Vatican City secretary of state Pietro Parolin offered their condolences and condemned the shooting. Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele criticized the media's coverage of the event. Paraguayan president Santiago Peña paid tribute to Kirk during a speech commemorating the 138th anniversary of the ruling Colorado Party. Pope Leo XIV expressed concern about political violence and prayed for Kirk and his family. Russian president Vladimir Putin offered his condolences and called the assassination a "disgusting crime". four days after Kirk's death, holding a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot European right-wing populist leaders drew upon Kirk's killing to galvanize their supporters and denounce the left. Matteo Salvini, Italian deputy prime minister and leader of Lega, said that he had "cried" over Kirk's death and wished to emulate him by talking directly to youngsters. In Spain, Vox and Patriots.eu president Santiago Abascal paid tribute to Kirk during his party's annual convention by wearing a shirt similar to the one Kirk had been wearing when he was shot. In the United Kingdom, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage paid tribute to Kirk in the House of Commons, saying he mourned the loss of a friend, and Tommy Robinson used the killing to mobilize support for the anti-immigration Unite the Kingdom rally in London on September 13. 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. French MEP Nathalie Loiseau of Renew Europe 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. 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. A moment of silence was held for Kirk at the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliament) on September 18 following a resolution from Lithuanian Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union MP Rimas Jonas Jankūnas. On September 18, Czech cardinal Dominik Duka celebrated a Requiem Mass for Kirk at the Church of Our Lady before Týn. The mass was attended by hundreds of worshippers, including politicians, while dozens of demonstrators gathered in front of the church holding banners describing Kirk as "fascist, racist and sexist". Following the announcement of Kirk's killing, Russian state media said on social platforms that the United States was gearing up for a potential civil war. Chinese state media depicted the incident as indicative of a disordered and deteriorating society, afflicted by political turmoil and gun violence. Media News of 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. Media organizations generally ran clips of the event that were truncated or otherwise censored to remove the image of the shooting. On September 12, Fox News hosted a primetime special titled Charlie Kirk: An American Original. While condemning the shooting, left-wing publications including The National, The Nation, and The New Republic accused the mass media of "whitewashing" Kirk's career. Fox News host Jesse Watters commented: "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." Left-wing 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." Popular culture The same day of the assassination, American website Jezebel took down a previously published satirical article from September 8 titled "We Paid Some Etsy Witches to Curse Charlie Kirk" that referenced Kirk's rhetoric and people "selling" hexes on Etsy and updated it with a new headline and text to emphasize that it was a humorous piece that had no intention of bringing harm to anyone. On the night of Kirk's assassination, Comedy Central cancelled all scheduled reruns of the South Park episode "Got a Nut", in which the character of Eric Cartman portrays a parodic version of Kirk. This followed an online campaign to have the show cancelled over its satirical portrayal of Kirk shortly before his death. Kirk himself had called his parody in South Park "hilarious". 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 or not honoring Kirk. On September 12 and 13, country singer Morgan Wallen dedicated his song "I'm a Little Crazy" to Erika in performances in Edmonton. On September 14, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin mentioned Kirk's family during the segment of the group's Music of the Spheres World Tour where he asks the audience to send love out into the world, adding: "You can send it to people you disagree with, but you send them love anyway." On the same day, English rap duo Bob Vylan mocked Kirk's death at a concert in Amsterdam, with frontman Bobby Vylan saying, "if you talk shit, you will get banged. Rest in piss, Charlie Kirk, you piece of shit." Subsequently, a Vylan concert in Tilburg was cancelled by the venue. On September 16, a presumably AI-generated song credited to Spalexma, "We Are Charlie Kirk", was released on music streaming services. It briefly topped Spotify's viral songs chart and made it onto Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart. Social media News of Kirk's death prompted fervent reactions on social media. 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. Mentions of, and comparisons with, the Reichstag fire and the murder of Horst Wessel soared. A remark Kirk had made in 2023"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. Several far-right figures encouraged retaliatory violence against Democrats and saw the death as a recruiting event. Before the shooter's identity and motivations were known, several influential right-wing voices called for vengeance and war. According to the Associated Press, uncensored videos showing Kirk being shot spread across social media with "lightning speed". The videos were generally described as "graphic" or "gory", leading to an expectation among some that they should be censored, although the videos did not necessarily violate platform policies. 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 children 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. Asked about Kirk, Senator Chris Coons blamed the Internet for the extremist politics of the United States, and touted widespread Congressional support for the Kids Online Safety Act, a proposed law that CBS News characterizes as an effort to "protect children from dangerous online content". Use of artificial intelligence on social media '', created with an AI face swap tool Artificial intelligence was presumably utilized in posts on social media by supporters and mourners of Kirk to memorialize him, including posts by megachurches depicting him being welcomed into heaven by Jesus. Journalist Kieran Press-Reynolds, writing for GQ, called this phenomenon "kirkslop", defining it as "a reaction or backlash to the way some conservatives have attempted to elevate Kirk into a kind of folk hero in the wake of his murder", further describing it as "cruelty for the sake of clicks and engagement" and a "hate-bait nuclear arms race". Public reaction Opinion polling Public concern about political violence was high after Kirk's killing. In a September 12 YouGov poll, 87% agreed that political violence is a problem. 18% of liberals and 7% of conservatives interviewed 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. Other outlets noted earlier polls with differing results: in a May 2025 poll, roughly 20% of both parties considered violence "acceptable" for political ends, According to G. Elliott Morris, polling exaggerates approval of political violence; research by Bright Line Watch has found that less than 5% condone violent felonies to achieve political goals, with little difference between parties. 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. on September 11, 2025 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. 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 (41% of Democrats and 13% of Republicans); 21% a Democrat (40% of Republicans and 8% of Democrats); and 15% affiliated with neither. A September 19 Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found a surge in negative sentiment amongst Republican voters in the aftermath of Kirk's assassination. Just 49% of Republican voters said they felt the country was headed in the right direction, compared to the previous June 2025 survey, in which 70% of respondents who identify as Republican said the country is heading in the right direction. The same poll found 8% of Democrats said the country is moving in the right direction, down from 12% in June, and 14% of independents, down from 23% in the June poll. 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. Similar vigils were also held in Albania, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom. Several online fundraisers were set up in Kirk's name to honor his legacy and provide financial support for his family. By September 14, the different fundraisers had received donations of over $6 million. == Misinformation and conspiracy theories ==

A lack of initial information sparked mass speculation about the killing. Also, disinformation about Robinson was widely shared on social media by both the political left and right, 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. China, Iran, and Russia spread disinformation using social media bots to inflame divisions and promote their foreign policy objectives. Hours after the shooting, conservative media and commentators began speculating that the shooter was transgender because Kirk was in the middle of answering a question about transgender mass shooters when he was shot. Further, 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." Kirk had been a strong proponent of the unsubstantiated claim that mass shooters disproportionately tend to be transgender. Numerous conspiracy theories about the assassination were posted online. 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". Other conspiracy theories included that Kirk had faked his death and had hidden a blood bag under his shirt, that Robinson was a scapegoat for the actual assassin, Following the publication of alleged text messages between Robinson and his partner in the September 16 indictment, observers on both sides of the political spectrum expressed serious doubts about their authenticity. Conspiracy theory experts, such as Joseph Uscinski, called those contentions into question, and criminal law expert Steven B. Duke stated: "There is nothing in those messages making it even plausible that they were written by law enforcement." Statements by Candace Owens Political commentator Candace Owens, who was a friend and employee of Kirk, spread various conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding the assassination. Owens reportedly shared theories that suggested various groups may have been involved in the assassination, including Kirk's security team, and the governments of France, Israel, or Egypt. In December 2025, Owens and Erika subsequently had a meeting that the latter described as "a very productive conversation." She released what she alleged was an "off-putting" leaked audio recording of Erika speaking days after Kirk's death. "Transgender ideology" misinformation Early reporting, notably in The Wall Street Journal, falsely said 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. 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 report to call for further action against the trans community, including banning pride flags and incarcerating all transgender people en masse. 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 the 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." The Wall Street Journal later amended the story with a note from the editor but did not issue a retraction. 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, "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". Purported Groyper motive It was speculated by social media users that one of the inscriptions found on the bullets could be a reference to the far-right Groyper culture, based in part on the adversarial stance that the Groypers had towards Kirk, such as during their 2019 heckling campaign. Axios described these speculations as "baseless". Groyper leader Nick Fuentes also rejected the speculation, stating that his followers were being "framed". Some commentators attempted to link the event to the Israeli Mossad and to Kirk's comments about the Epstein files, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the theories, calling them "insane" and issuing multiple video messages claiming no Israeli government involvement in the assassination. On October 6, right-wing commentator Candace Owens revealed private WhatsApp group messages where Kirk claimed to have "no choice but to leave the pro-Israel cause" due to having lost $2 million from a Jewish donor over his refusal to condemn Tucker Carlson. A day later, Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet published a video confirming the authenticity of the leaked text messages. == See also ==