September 19, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA.— On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative media personality, was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. Kirk, 31, was on campus for Turning Point USA’s “The American Comeback Tour.”
The tour, which the nonprofit vows to continue despite Kirk’s death, travels to various college campuses U.S. encouraging conservative leaning students to push back against perceived left wing ideological misinformation.
A crowd of about 3,000 people came to see Kirk, at the outdoor event held in the UVU Fountain Courtyard.
Kirk was fatally hit with a single gunshot to the neck. Investigators say the shots came from a nearby rooftop. FBI and local investigators at the scene found four bullet casings allegedly engraved with controversial statements. The casings were found near the rifle believed used in the shooting.
The engravings reportedly expressed transgender and antifascist ideology, such as lyrics from the Italian folk song “Bella Ciao” (translation: “Goodbye, beautiful”), as well as taunting messages like “Hey, fascist! Catch!” according to authorities.
However, according to CNN, officials have not yet confirmed the exact meanings or motive behind these inscriptions as they are “difficult to precisely decipher.”
Kirk was carried by six men to an SUV on route to Timpanogos Regional Hospital. Initially, Kirk was reported to be in critical condition. Several hours later President Trump officially announced Kirk’s passing.
Investigators on the case have 22–year–old Tyler Robinson in custody, who was at large for 30 hours after the shooting, before turned himself into law enforcement after much persuasion from his parents, Al Jazeera reports.
Authorities have not determined a motivation for this shooting. It is reported that Robinson is not the only suspect. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox notes there is a possible second suspect in Kirk’s murder.
Videos immediately surfaced on social media showing UVU students under lock down on campus. As police arrive on the scene, faculty and students shared their experience in lockdown following the shooting. Soon after, reactions from all over America flooded the internet.
Social media went into an uproar upon receiving the news of Kirk’s death. Some right-leaning users mourned his death while others emphasized their disapproval with his ideology. The internet has since been divided for days following the incident, with much of the polarized commentary going far beyond the social media platforms.
On Monday, Gannon’s President Walter Iwanenko, sent out a public statement to the students, faculty and staff, where he expressed being “disappointed” by social media posts made by some Gannon community members, calling the posts inappropriate and were subject to disciplinary actions, including termination.
Kirk’s family received messages of sympathy from President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, former President Barack Obama, and Utah representative, Mike Lee (R). Vigils mourning Kirk have taken place across the country over the past week. In Arizona, 200 people gathered for a vigil, as well as people sitting outside the hospital where Kirk was taken.
Charlie Kirk’s death adds to the large amount of recent gun-related deaths in America, including that of Minnesota State Representative, Melissa Hortman (D), her husband and dog, who were also alleged to be targeted due to political affiliations back in June, according to AP News. Many Americans are now expressing anger regarding continued gun violence and are demanding more actions be taken by authorities to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
