The Aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s Death

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.