On September 10, 2025, one man and his rifle rocked the nation. On that fateful Wednesday, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot through the neck by a sniper while talking to students at Utah Valley University (UVU).
Kirk had risen to fame over the past few years as a right-wing political commentator who toured the nation to debate people with alternative viewpoints. He was especially popular among young conservatives, with his appearance at UVU drawing a crowd of around 3,000. One of the loudest voices of President Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, Kirk is often credited with mobilizing conservative youth in his support of the current president’s 2024 campaign.
However, Kirk wasn’t just someone trying to debate college kids. When he was 18 years old, he founded Turning Point USA, an organization dedicated to educating youth and promoting traditional American values.
In addition, Kirk had a very large social media following, with over seven million followers on Instagram at the time of his death. A very well known face on the internet, Kirk’s social media team often took clips of his debates and posted them, racking up millions of views across platforms.
Although he had a very large influence, he was also an extremely controversial figure. With campaigns such as his “You Are Being Brainwashed” tour in 2024, students said, “His goal was to verbally defeat us.” Others have criticized his combative style as being intentionally provocative.
His controversial status reached its peak when a man named Tyler Robinson, 22, used a bolt action hunting rifle to shoot Charlie Kirk, who was pronounced dead later that day. A manhunt soon followed, with the shooter being captured two days later. Robinson said, “I’ve had enough of his hatred,” and that “some hate can’t be negotiated out.”
Across the country, reactions to the murder were mixed. For Republicans, many were outraged and started pointing fingers at the “radical-left lunatics” who were immediately blamed by President Trump. Division quickly spread when some Democrats celebrated Kirk’s death. In turn, the White House has started to lead a major crackdown on celebrators, with Vice President JD Vance urging people to “call them out.”
Rainy Korein ‘27 said that she initially felt scared because she knew that the country would only become more divided as a result. She said that she feared what Republicans might try to do in response.
However, most of the country fell in the middle. Dean Sadowski ‘27 said that he didn’t always agree with Charlie Kirk, but that “It was messed up what happened to him” and how people were celebrating his death.
Khalil Jimenez ‘27 agreed that what happened to him was wrong, but added that he felt Kirk was being overhyped, saying “He’s being treated like a hero.”
Since Kirk’s death, thousands of people across the country have taken action to mourn him. Memorials have been erected, and the United States Senate voted to dedicate October 14th, Kirk’s birthday, as a national day of remembrance.
Alana Jones • Oct 15, 2025 at 9:14 pm
Similar to Maddie, when I initially became aware of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I had just finished basketball practice. Also similar to Mercury, I was not surprised. I’ve come across Charlie Kirk’s debates a few times and I found his look on the world absolutely disgusting, besides a couple few and far between points he’s made. I was 100% shaken up about the entire situation because no matter his political opinions, a man was killed. I’m not happy he is dead whatsoever, but I am not mourning him. People say, “he had a family”, but what about those who lost their lives in Ukraine, Palestine, or those who died because of their race, who Charlie Kirk repeatedly mocked. They had families as well. I feel as though people only truly make death a big deal over those who are famous. People die everyday and no one bats an eye but right when it’s someone with a generous following or amount of money, it’s an urgent matter. The jokes and giggles shared over Charlie Kirk’s death are extremely disrespectful. At the end of the day, a human being lose their life.
Mercury • Oct 14, 2025 at 11:42 pm
Charlie Kirk’s death is something I’m honestly not surprised by. So many shootings and murders have been happening. It’s scary, honestly. I will never understand people who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death, or anyone’s death. I see a lot of arguments to the people who do that, which are just “he had a family”, which I hate. Just because he had a family isn’t the only reason not to celebrate his death. He’s a human. Human deaths are always going to be sad and scary. And knowing it happens to famous/infamous figures like Charlie Kirk (or the attempted assassination of Trump), shows that shootings can really kill anyone. No matter who it is, it’ll always be sad, even if it’s someone you dislike.
Maddie • Oct 14, 2025 at 8:17 pm
The day I found out that Charlie Kirk was assassinated I was just ending soccer practice. I passed by one of my friends and they looked visibly shaken by something, so I asked them “what’s wrong?” That’s when they told me that Charlie Kirk had just been assassinated. My initial reaction was shock, I didn’t really feel much besides that. I had seen videos of Charlie Kirk and his debating, personally I thought he was a selfish apathetic man and I had no care in paying attention to someone who spread nothing but hatred to everyone and anyone who didn’t look like him. I went on social media later that day and saw many different sides of the whole situation. Many people calling him things like “Hero” or even as crazy as to compare him to Jesus or God. That following week I had continued to have conversations with my friends and family about what had happened. It just seemed to me like everyone in the media was just piggybacking off one another and deciding what was the right way to feel about the whole thing and what wasn’t. In the end I’m not saying I’m glad that a man was killed but I am not mourning him either.
Jada Downs • Oct 14, 2025 at 7:05 pm
No one’s death should be displayed or published for entertainment or been laughed at in that way, and I strongly disagree with anyone who seems happy by what happened. That reaction suggests apathy and, to me, those who don’t like him are generally on the liberal side, and it contradicts their hatred for guns violence. Even though I feel no personal remorse for the man because of his actions and words, that doesn’t mean his death should have been publicized. I agree with Khalil Jimenez ’27: “He’s being treated like a hero,” and he shouldn’t be. This man repeatedly described other people as less than human that was blatant, dehumanization. I think it’s important that we as a community don’t support both hateful speech and the normalization of death regardless of political views. . If we want a safer and a peaceful society, we need to keep compassion even when and if we disagree.
Honor • Oct 14, 2025 at 6:08 pm
I didn’t deeply follow the news, but I did hear things about it through social media and family, and a few friends. I also briefly read about a little bit of it in the New York Times. I feel I was also one of the people in the middle before I read deeper into his views about black people, rape, and gun violence. I don’t think he was an amazing person, and he had many disrespectful and racist views. I was surprised when I heard about it because it felt so sudden, hearing it randomly mentioned in texts with friends. Some discussions did happen, but most weren’t serious when I was with friends. They mostly consisted of A.I. videos of his death. My friends didn’t focus on it for long and moved on pretty quickly. As I mentioned before, I didn’t have a very positive view of how his death was portrayed. It was usually mocked and turned into or compared to A.I. Many made jokes about how he died or how “the blood spilled”. While in certain circumstances I wouldn’t find this ok, I feel like this was almost ironic. He was actively supporting gun violence and was then shot with a gun in a violent manner.
Rael • Oct 14, 2025 at 6:03 pm
I had first seen Charlie Kirk in a debate, and I greatly disagreed with all that he had to say, but never really thought to remember his name or learn about him. I found out he died from a friend texting me, and I recognized him only after I had googled his name. I hardly reacted, and my opinion on him only worsened after his passing. I researched about him and all of the insensitive things he’s said, which only took away the sympathy I had for his family. I don’t condone violence at all, but I have grown numb to this specific case. I have discussed this a lot with my peers, usually because they share the same opinions on it. I believe that his portrayal as a martyr or someone who died for a great cause is, quite frankly, incorrect and untrue. Other than that, I have no opinion on Kirk and his death.
Amani • Oct 14, 2025 at 5:10 pm
I was never really aware of Charlie Kirk. I looked at some clips of his debates and talked it over with classmates. I had seen him before but I never knew his name. I never really agreed with him. His death was weirdly ironic with him being pro gun. It was sad because his kids were there I think but it’s hard to have empathy for him. It is really sad thinking about his kids growing up without their dad but their dad was never really that great anyway. He was very racist, homophobic, misogynistic, and against gun reform. I’m not sad about his death.
Joseph • Oct 14, 2025 at 12:40 pm
While I first heard Charlie Kirk’s name upon learning of his passing, I was able to sympathize with a friend of mine who was an ardent supporter of his. I gained knowledge about him through videos on YouTube and Instagram – on the latter platform, many people portrayed him as a hero; others rejoiced over his death, expressing this in the comment sections. I have no firm opinion on whether Kirk was a hero or villain, but those who celebrate his death are severely misguided – regardless of what he believed in, Charlie Kirk did not deserve to die. He was torn from his wife and two children. A person’s beliefs do not determine if they deserve to live – certainly not in this case, as Kirk clearly desired a brighter future for the United States.
avery • Oct 14, 2025 at 11:28 am
I followed the news of Charlie Kirk’s death until it was announced who killed him. Charlie Kirk spread extremely hateful views but I was not “overjoyed” over his death. The only people who I feel bad for in this situation is his children. Although he died in an extremely violent and insane way, it does not excuse the fact that his actions and his influence on our generation were horrible. On social media, I have seen people “excusing” his actions just because he died. No matter if he were alive or dead, he should be help responsible for the hate speech he had spread for half of his life. He did not die a “legend,” he died a coward, a racist, a homophobe, etc.
Max Cassano • Oct 13, 2025 at 10:32 pm
5.) When I first heard that Charlie Kirk died I was just very shocked and it was that day that I heard about it. I remember just seeing him on social media debating with college students and adults about problems or important things about our country. Me and my friends didn’t really talk about it but we all saw the video and were very shocked and surprised because we never thought this type of thing would happen and that Charlie made this person so mad that he had to kill him. I think after his death people have been sad for him and now stand up to him because they realized that he had a daughter now she has to live without him now because people were just angry at him.
zara • Oct 13, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Long before his death, I was familiar with Charlie Kirk. I followed debates in which he participated and frequently saw controversial videos of him on TikTok. Before his death, I completely disagreed with his views and saw him as an ignorant white supremacist who lacked basic human empathy. After his death, my opinion on him is the same; however, I do feel bad that his children lost their dad. The way he died was terrible, but just because he died in such a violent manner does not justify his past actions, and how terrible a person he was. When I saw reactions to his death. I thought it was really interesting how many people came out in support of him because he died. At the end of the day, Charlie Kirk lived his life as a misogynistic, racist, homophobe who died from the gun laws that he was protecting. I hate to sound apathetic, because I do feel bad that his children lost their father, and that he was killed in such a horrific manner, but it doesn’t do anyone any good ignoring who he really was because he died.
caroline • Oct 13, 2025 at 8:48 pm
I partially followed the news of the killing of Charlie Kirk because it was fairly unavoidable. I knew who he was beforehand and I had seen plenty of videos of him on the internet, so when I found out he was shot I was in complete shock. I wouldn’t really say I was particularly sad because I strongly disagree with many of the things he stood for but it’s still unacceptable to see someone murdered for their entitled beliefs. I had many conversations with students and teachers and even my family after I heard the news and most of the people I spoke to agreed that he was not the greatest person but it was crazy how some people were actually actively happy that he was shot at a college campus. I also think its extremely crazy that now, after he died, he’s being portrayed in the media as a hero which I don’t agree with because alive or dead I still think what he stood for was completely wrong and horrible and I’m not going to pretend like it wasn’t messed up because this has been happening for so many years now but people only seem to care when its a rich, powerful, white man.
Zach • Oct 13, 2025 at 8:09 pm
When Charlie Kirk was assassinated I was playing Playstation with a friend. My friend was scrolling on TikTok and saw something and told me “Charlie Kirk just got shot” my first reaction was who is that and then I remembered who it was and was just kind of mind blown that it happened. The following days there was lots of talk about it and different opinions. Personally I feel that no one should die over opinions no matter one side or the other. From most people I talked to the opinions were pretty similar from mine some going other ways. I think that with his death some parts of media have made him a saint and some have highlighted the worse things about him.
Daniel Fuller • Oct 13, 2025 at 7:14 pm
I followed the news of Charlie Kirk because I saw a lot of it on TikTok and I was interested. I was really surprised when it happened, but I wasn’t very sad or anything. Despite this, I don’t think he should have died. I think that the media has portrayed him completely differently than how he truly was. I feel that they have tried to make him seem like a martyr and such a good person when he really wasn’t. I think he was just a debater and I didn’t ever agree with him. I think that nobody deserves to die in such a horrible way, but I never liked him in life and I’m not going to pretend to now.
baeleigh • Oct 13, 2025 at 6:55 pm
I partially followed the death of Charlie Kirk, only to observe people’s reactions. I found out what happened on the way to basketball practice that day. Someone had come up to me and said, “yo Charlie Kirk got shot.” Initially, I asked, “Who is Charlie Kirk??” because I kept hearing people around me mention it without paying much mind. The person showed me a video, and I immediately recognized him from his controversial debates. I reacted by simply saying “oh” and continuing with my business without giving it too much thought. I noticed as many of my peers and mutuals posted condolences, and bashed democrats, races, and religions. I watched and heard people speak about how messed up it was. I had many discussions with my friends and peers, and I even watched my teacher stand up and devote our moment of silence at assembly to Charlie Kirk’s death the next morning. That morning was 9/11. I think the traction Charlie Kirk’s death received was based on his white supremacist platform, and if it were a person of any other race, religion, or maybe even gender, it never would have become as big a topic as it did. I also think conservatives tried to use his murder as a way to slander liberals, POC, and some religions other than Christianity. I’ve heard and seen more about Charlie Kirk’s murder than I have about the gruesome terrorizations occurring around the world.
Avery F • Oct 13, 2025 at 6:24 pm
I did not follow the killing of Charlie Kirk, however the news was unavoidable. Typically, I try to stay informed on current events but not hyperfixate on them, especially if it’s bad news. I tried to do the same with this, however it was hard not to fixate on his death as so many people were posting about him. What bothered me the most about his portrayal in the media was the way people repeated that “he had a family” or that “he was a father.” Where did this empathy come from? Where were these voices when hundreds of children die in school shootings each year? Where were they when two democratic lawmakers were shot and killed? I don’t condone political violence, but in no way did this man deserve the attention and praise he received after his death, while others received little to none.
ethan son • Oct 13, 2025 at 6:08 pm
I remember being on my bed scrolling through TikTok and almost each swipe was talking about Charlie Kirk. When I found out he died I was in complete shock, I remember being on call with my friends and the conversation eventually lead up to us talking about him. We all thought it was pretty messed up because no human deserves to die like that just because of their political standing. I feel like him getting talked about all over social media was deserved, but he was also portrayed as not a good person because of a lot of the things he’d say and it also depends on all the sources you see because everyone says different things about him.
Paige Sammin • Oct 13, 2025 at 3:56 pm
I was at home, in my room when I saw a video saying Charlie Kirk got shot. I didn’t believe it at first, honestly, because those kinds of rumors are made up all the time. However, my friend showed me a video of him being shot, which along with the people claiming he died, convinced me. I spoke about it with my friends a little bit, and other people said that his death was amazing, while some said it was incredibly wrong. I did notice, however, that people who disagreed with him or people who wouldn’t even openly express their political stance were suddenly sympathetic, and being upset over it, simply because of the way he went out. I think he was a horrible person, and his opinions were very against my own. That being said, gun violence, and the way he died, is awful and gruesome, and nobody deserves to go out like that.
Emmett Kubersky • Oct 13, 2025 at 2:05 pm
I remember being in the locker room about to go out to soccer practice, when someone showed me the video of Charlie Kirk. I have never been very political, so I was very surprised when I saw the gruesome imagery. All of a sudden, my feed was flooded with right and left wing articles, some people celebrating, whilst others mourning. Me and my friends all shared our opinions, which were unanimous: no one should die just because of their political standings. I think that Kirk has been portrayed as a martyr, and as a demon. It mainly depends on the source of the news, as there are many, many opinions.
Alana Conway • Oct 13, 2025 at 1:13 pm
I followed the news of Charlie Kirk only because my friends did. They would update me daily about what happened, what people were saying, and who was talking publicly about it. I also felt that everyone around me, and on social media, were talking about it so I didn’t need to look into it anymore than what I had learned already. When Kirk first got shot it was a surprise, I found out as I was in the car with my dad. We thought it was ironic at first, horrible but ironic. I hadn’t seen the video of him getting shot yet so we didn’t know how bad it was, or if he was going to survive. When I was around people talking about it they were celebrating him getting shot, which I thought was wrong, no matter who the person is no one deserves that kind of violence. I agree that no one should be celebrating his death, but now people are acting like he did so much for America and that he was amazing. A month before he got shot those same people were going on social media to talk about how they hated him and he deserved nothing.
May • Oct 13, 2025 at 12:06 pm
I did follow the news of Charlie Kirk’s murder. I felt mixed feelings about his death and so did my friends but some of them were sad for his family and not for him and some were like me with mixed feelings. I think since his death he has had a following of supporters and some said he deserved it because his assasination and gun violence is what he was saying was ok. I think that his supporters have pictured him in a way that showed him as a saint and that he was a great person speaking his truth.
Paige J • Oct 12, 2025 at 11:40 pm
The killing of Charlie Kirk initially was not something that I looked up on my own time, I didn’t need to because it was all over social media. I was very shocked when I saw this because I had seen his videos before and I remembered him having extremely radical and controversial views that I was and still am against. But seeing where and how he was killed shocked me because of how unimportant his social standing was. Kirk was just a social media “influencer” who argued with college students, although his views were extreme, I believe that an assassination was something that I would have never seen happen to someone like him. I had multiple discussions with my peers about it and we talked about how shocked we were, but at the same time not surprised because of growing violence towards political figures, but Kirk was not. After his death, many students and people that I knew were debating on whether or not he deserved it, which completely changed how I saw other people’s views regarding violence. It raised a question for me that I asked myself, “why is violence only wrong when it comes to people you like or support?.” In no way do I support Charlie Kirk, but I don’t support violence in a form such as this.
Lauren M Washington • Oct 12, 2025 at 4:48 pm
Hi Elliot, this is a great article! You did a great job with picking who to interview and the pace of the article overall is perfect for this topic. Keep up the good work.
Rainy Korein • Oct 12, 2025 at 3:53 pm
I think that this article did a very impressive job of staying neutral and fair in its portrayal of a highly controversial topic, not only through its narration of the event, but also through its selection of viewpoints and quotes. I also think that the writing style of this article was engaging and refined, especially throughout the hook and first paragraph.
Chloe C • Oct 12, 2025 at 12:39 pm
I followed the news of the killing of Charlie Kirk. I was initially very shocked to hear the news, and that shock hasn’t worn off too much since I first found out. I discussed the event with my peers, who had varied reactions to the news, leading to a range of extreme attitudes towards the situation and the broader political divide in America. Depending on the media source, I think that Kirk has been portrayed in many different ways, with some sources representing him as a martyr, while some virtually celebrate his death. There is also a large middle ground between these two extreme ends. I believe debates among youth who aren’t well-versed in these topics are important for growth, but they can also easily create unnecessary and unproductive conflict between groups.
liam hilliard • Oct 11, 2025 at 4:47 pm
The overall reaction to Kirk’s death was really strange to me. On the one hand, the majority of people were certainly against it (despite what algorithms may lead you to believe). On the other, though, he was such a divisive figure – only getting more divisive as his career went on and it became evident that controversy generates clicks – that it was hard for many to know what exactly to think. At least, I know it was hard for me to know what to think. I’m against political violence (and violence in general), and I was against Kirk’s murder from minute one, but it was really hard for those first days to say that without sounding like a sympathizer with someone whose beliefs I so fundamentally disagree with.
Augusto Q • Oct 10, 2025 at 10:00 am
I did indeed follow the news of Charlie Kirk’s killing, and like many others, I felt a mix of both shock and discomfort. While I often disagreed with Kirk’s rhetoric and approach, no one deserves to be targeted with violence; political violence can not be tolerated to any degree, and his assassination represents a dangerous turning point for political discourse in this country. In fact, I remember discussing it with friends, and most of us were more afraid of what the reaction would be than the act itself, the idea that it would deepen the divide between people even more. The way Kirk has been portrayed since his death feels complicated: some outlets have turned him into a martyr-like figure, while others still highlight his controversial legacy. Of course, both can be true at once; he was an influential figure as much as he was a divisive one. What matters most is learning from this, recognizing that violence and dehumanization, regardless of ideology, only push us further from true understanding and cooperation.
Anjali Holloman • Oct 10, 2025 at 9:37 am
I had been following what happened to Charlie Kirk, and though I don’t condone political violence in that way, I don’t think that we should be memorializing Kirk. Suddenly, after Kirk’s death, I saw a major change in the way people viewed him. Before, people would watch his debates and laugh at his opinions, but since his murder (and maybe it is because of the way he was killed so publically) people have been praising him. Just because what happened to him was tragic (and absolutely not okay) does not mean that Kirk was a hero of any kind. Kirk was known for being horrible to almost every minority group in America, and he was known for spreading misinformation. I am saddened for his family and the people who were close to him because, after all, he was still a human being, but that does not mean what he did in his life was okay. I also don’t believe that a shooting his the right way to solve any problem, and political violence like this will just set off more violence. This should be a wake-up call to people that we need real change in our country.
Malea • Oct 10, 2025 at 9:37 am
After the death of Charlie Kirk, it felt confirmed to me that the Nation truly was no longer united despite opposing beliefs and political stances. Kirk was a man who spread horrible rhetoric, influencing young teens to spew hate to make them “truly American”. I was utterly shocked when I heard the news about his death and I couldn’t believe that people were celebrating as though it was a win for the Democratic party. Death is not anything to be celebrated in any circumstance and people do not understand that until it directly affects them. Through his words of hate, Kirk was putting a target on himself by actively hating groups of people and saying things about them that should never be said about anyone; especially not publicly. Those in the Republican party want to celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk and create a national holiday on October 14th dedicated to him. I must ask, why? Kirk did not truly benefit the republican party because all he did was turn more people against them and paint the republican party as hateful people. He grouped together an entire party, even those who didn’t agree with his radical views. Charlie Kirk had a life with a loving wife and children, so why did he make himself a target?
Neiko • Oct 10, 2025 at 9:34 am
I didn’t really pay attention to Charlie Kirk when he was alive, and I don’t really care for him much now. During the time of his death, many clips of him saying derogatory things were released, and I realized that I don’t have to care about it. I do think that it’s messed up that he got killed, and the video was even more disturbing, but in the end, he was literally a political debater that had a big following… he does not need all this praise and to be treated like a hero!!! But at the end of the day, I don’t really care about him because I never followed him before sooo.
Mia • Oct 10, 2025 at 5:32 am
I did follow the news about Charlie Kirk. I remember being at Whole Foods with my dad, and then all of a sudden, my phone was blowing up with texts about Charlie Kirk dying. I looked it up, and unfortunately, the very graphic and disturbing video of him being shot. I talked with a lot of my classmates about it, and we all sort of had the same view on it. Although Charlie Kirk was not a person I agreed with, and I think that he was a bad person, but he didn’t deserve to die. I don’t like how he’s been portrayed in the media since. His death has sort of overshadowed so many other tragedies that have happened around this time. His death can’t automatically make him a good person, it’s about his life.
Lia Khoury • Oct 9, 2025 at 7:20 pm
Before what happened to Charlie Kirk, I had been seeing him a lot online. I completely disagreed and still do with what he stood for, however I will also always disagree that violence was not a necessary option. I don’t feel much sympathy for Charlie Kirk himself, but I definitely wish well on his family and friends after having lost someone. On that day of Charlie Kirk’s death, people lost a friend, a family member, and even a father. Most of us only knew him for his political views and political views are not worth dying for. After all, this is a country where we have free speech and should not have to fear dying just because of how far left or right we are. I believe while he was not a good person he should not have died and his death will only divide our country more.
Sam GIilman • Oct 9, 2025 at 3:05 pm
I fallowed the Charley Kirk story closely. My initial reaction was shock especially I watched the video and that how I found out and I was shocked that someone did that when his kids were in the front row to watch that happen to their dad. The conversation in group chats soon came after with a general agreement that he did cause a lot of harm and was generally a bad person but he did not deserve to die. I believe that the media portraying his a as a hero and being shown for all his good accomplishments. No one should die for having conversations. was not a hero
seysa • Oct 9, 2025 at 3:03 pm
I remember being at practice and right when it ended my friend asked me ” did you see the video of the guy that just got shot.” I didn’t think anything of it because I thought it might have been an old video. The same friend that told me about the video gave me a ride home. When I opened Instagram I scrolled and keep seeing the news. Charlie Kirk was shot. I wasn’t familiar with who he was and what he did. I opened the comments and people were celebrating his death. I then realized that he was an American political activist. I saw the video on someones story and was scared and shocked. I was looking more into the situation and realized that type of things he said and what he stood for. I do not agree with the things he said but no one deserves death no matter who they are. Kirks death also made me realize that people will do things such as celebrate someones death but not realize that he had a family and a life.
Meadow • Oct 9, 2025 at 2:59 pm
I initially heard about Kirk getting shot on a group chat. Then later on that same group chat I found out he passed away. I remember seeing clips of his debates on instagram and he really pissed me off. Initially I wouldn’t say I was happy but he certainly got what he deserved. He said that some people dying every year due to gun violence was necessary. So I guess he practiced what he preached. I remember talking to people about it and some people said that it was horrible. Which yes it is horrible for someone to get shot but why do we focus on him out of all the people that die from gun violence everyday? People were saying that it was horrible because he was a father and had a family but so are so many others that due from gun violence but the only difference is they go unnoticed. I think that the media wrongfully portrayed him as a hero. He was sick and said horrible things. I think he got what was coming to him.
Gabriel Anderson • Oct 9, 2025 at 2:56 pm
I believe that Charlie Kirk was a terrible person, but I detest what happened to him. I don’t believe we should honor a man who made a career out of sowing division, spreading hate, and fear. I followed the reactions of our politicians and the mass response in general, but I admit I didn’t pay much attention to the news about the shooter. I was shocked at such extreme violence, and was disgusted by the fact that someone did this to another human being. I saw the uncensored video, and that only added to my abhorrence of the killing. My friend, who showed me the video, and I had conversations about the lack of empathy that seems to be becoming more common in society, and which allows violent acts like this. Still, this changes nothing of what I thought about Kirk. I didn’t understand and was becoming angry at the fact, he was being honored as a hero. He was being portrayed by the media as a martyr, completely disregarding his hateful life.
Brennan • Oct 9, 2025 at 2:53 pm
I did follow the news of Charlie Kirks death. I remember being at basketball and after practice I went on my phone and saw the video of him being shot. right after seeing the video I was shocked and scared about it. I did not know what would happen in the country and I was nervous to see how his supporters reacted. I was scared they would go crazy and as someone who did not support him who knows who could be hurt. I had talked to my friends about it and we all mostly had similar reactions. None of us agreed with his views or anything he said but we were not supporting his death. We did not think he deserved to die even if we didn’t agree with him. I think Kirk has been portrayed as this great person who did great things. I will admit he was impactful but not for reasons I agree with. He did not deserve to die even if his opinions were harmful.
billy • Oct 9, 2025 at 2:50 pm
I was someone who followed the death of Charlie Kirk kind of closely, because it was all over my for-you page after it happened. The video itself was very disturbing because there was one of them that showed a video of someone who was in the front of the crowd, and it showed Charlie Kirk getting shot up close, which was pretty disturbing. I didn’t have any real discussions with peers or family members. I feel like he was being portrayed as this “hero” figure, and that he was being shown as the pinnacle of human achievements. Even though what happened to him was not ok and is not something someone should ever go through, he was not an amazing person.
Ella • Oct 7, 2025 at 7:33 pm
I was someone who followed the death of Charlie Kirk pretty closely, especially when the news was fairly fresh. I tried my best to keep my reaction quite neutral, even though he was someone whose ideas strongly conflicted with my own, I couldn’t in good conscious say his murder was morally just. I had a lot of conversations with my mom on the topic, since she does a lot of public diversity work and is a constitutional law professor at Rutgers, so Charlie Kirk was no unfamiliar name to her. We talked a lot about how it felt as if media outlets were taking an overly neutral approach to the story, and in doing so, left out key facts, and seemed to inadvertently support conservative views by framing his death as a tragedy while failing to confront this man’s incredibly controversial philosophy. Most importantly, I felt so engaged with the chatter around Charlie Kirk because the subject hit close to home. As I mentioned, my mother is a very knowledgeable woman on a lot of the topics that Charlie Kirk was so passionate about, and she often speaks on national television or radio stations, voicing her opinion and sharing her knowledge on the subject. This was apparently something Charlie Kirk didn’t appreciate, so he added my mother to his “professors’ watch list” in hopes of getting his followers to attack and harass her. That was the type of person he was. Like I said, I would never in good conscious be able to say that Charlie Kirk’s death was morally just, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t pain me to hear those around me speak so highly of a man that I know targeted my family.
Radha Airan-Javia • Oct 7, 2025 at 7:45 am
While I didn’t agree with his actions and what he stood for, I agree that it is not ok to publicly celebrate someone’s death. As violence continues to affect the United States, I think that it is important that its people don’t become more and more divided because of it. The death of a public figure should not be something that splits the country or breaks relationships. It should be a period of mourning for those who need it and a period of respectful space given by those who do not. People should be able to have and express their own beliefs and values, but, in my opinion, they should not do so at the expense of someone else in a vulnerable time.