On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative personality, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The manhunt to find the shooter lasted two days before authorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson for aggravated murder. At the time of print, seven formal criminal charges were filed against Robinson.
Kirk, born on Oct.14. 1993, was a right-wing activist and author. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization that advocates for right-wing rhetoric on high school and college campuses across the United States. He is also the author of multiple books, including “Right Wing Revolution: How to Beat the Woke and Save the West,” “The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas That Will Win the Future” and more.
Kirk’s rhetoric reached a large audience with 12.4 million followers on Instagram, 5.9 million on X, and 4.93 million on YouTube. Many credit him with the spread of conservatism amongst Generation Z audiences, which played a major role in young voters’ support for President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential elections.
Moments before his death, Kirk was hosting a debate on Utah Valley’s campus as part of the first stop for Turning Points “The American Comeback Tour,” with the next stop slated for Sept. 18th at Colorado State University. At the time of the shooting, Kirk was being questioned on gun violence in the US by Hunter Kozak, an undergraduate student at the University who also posted political commentary online.
Robinson, the shooter, is a Utah native who attended the University for one semester in 2021 as a pre-engineering major before dropping out. He is currently in his third year in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah. According to voter registration forms, Robinson has never voted and is registered without affiliation to any political party.
Though no motivation has been revealed, inscriptions on four of the bullet shell casings showed Robinson had a message. One casing wrote “Hey Fascist! Catch!” and another said, “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.”
Robinson was identified by his own father when images were released by authorities of the alleged shooter.
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JUMP HEAD: Reactions to Kirk’s Assassination
According to an ABC article, Robinson, his father and a friend, made the 14 mile drive from Washington to Hurricane, Utah, where Robinson was turned in to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office on friday Sept. 10.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has called the assassination “political” despite Kirk not being an elected official. Cox said the state of Utah will be seeking the death penalty for Robinson, echoing Trump’s call for execution. One of Robinson’s charges is for aggravated murder, which is a capital crime in Utah that can secure capital punishment if certain criteria is met.
Kirk’s assasination brought about varying reactions from both conservative and liberal pools, sparked debate across the country and even has European leaders vocalizing their reactions to the event.
The New York Times reported on conservatives claiming the loss of a “galvanizing force,” and hailing Kirk as a martyr.
USF students have taken to Fizz to post their reactions anonymously. One user said, “Leftist parade at Kalmonovitz at 6[p.m.] to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, we just showed America who’s boss.” Another said “Charlie Kirk made a career out of spreading hate and division. We shouldn’t be empathetic towards someone like that.”
More Fizz users responded to such comments, adding “If you are happy that Charlie Kirk is dead, you should be ashamed of yourself. He was practicing his First Amendment right, and now he’s dead. This country is in shambles.”
One anonymous user posted a graphic announcing a memorial for Kirk to be held on Welch Field at the time this publication is sent to print. The graphic was posted with a comment, saying “…SEPTEMBER 16, Please come out to memorialize a true great American Patriot! -Hosted by Turning Point USA USFCA!”
The Foghorn will continue to report on any updates related to this event.
Dakota Duran contributed to the reporting of this story.
