Conservative campus debater and founder of Turning Point USA Charles James Kirk was fatally shot on September 10th, twenty minutes into his debate event at Utah Valley University (UVU). Kirk was known for going onto college campuses and provoking discussion among college students who opposed his opinions as a means of illustrating the juxtaposition of both sides.
Kirk was fatally shot in the neck, allegedly by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. The perpetrator took the shot from the roof of the Losee Center at UVU; the weapon was Robinson’s grandfather’s vintage 0.308 caliber bolt action rifle. Robinson claims he shot Kirk due to his hateful rhetoric.
“His hatred…against people like us. Trans, gay, all of it. Couldn’t take it anymore.” assassin Tyler Robinson said on leaked Discord messages.
Two of the bullets Robinson had were engraved with pop culture references while the third unused bullet casing stating “Hey fascist, catch!” alluding to Robinson’s anti-fascist rhetoric.
Several details have not been released to the public. It is understood that Tyler Robinson belonged to a traditionally conservative Utah family and only in recent years grew increasingly adversarial political views. He attended Utah Valley University.
“[This event] opened people’s eyes that political violence can’t be used to silence,” FAHS senior Ryan Adamo said. “Free speech is important and people will look up to Kirk as a character of free speech.”
Several people who either saw the event or know Kirk also released statements.
“Charlie loved, loved life. He loved his life. He loved America. He loved nature, which helped always bring him closer to God,” Kirk’s wife Erica said in a video she posted on several platforms..
“He still is a human being; have we forgotten that?” Henry Dells said on CNN. Dells was the man debating Kirk when the assassination happened.
“Charlie suffered a terrible fate, my friends. We all know it. We all saw it. But I think it is not the worst fate. It is better to face a gunman than to live your life afraid to speak the truth,” Vice President J.D. Vance said in a speech at the Kirk memorial event.
“Above all else, we ask you to pray for the Kirks after the incomprehensible loss that they have suffered,” Kirk’s organization Turning Point USA said on a Youtube community post following his assassination.
There have also been numerous vigils in the USA for Kirk as well as protests globally using Kirk as a martyr for free speech.
Some of the vigils in the USA include South Carolina University, Arizona State University, Beverly Hills Garden Park, NYC Washington Square Park, Utah Valley University, and the Boise State Capitol.
Boise was most notable because of a skirmish between the vigil attendees and a small crowd of protestors who yelled profanity at the attendees. This resulted in the arrest of 41-year-old Terry Wilson after he approached the crowd and grew physical with the vigil attendees.
Other notable global protests include a ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally in London, UK, with attendees in the hundreds of thousands using Kirk as a martyr for free speech in the country.
A group of counter-protestors appeared at the rally, and violence ensued between them and the United Kingdom protestors.
In Seoul, South Korea, there have also been freedom of religion protestors chanting ‘I am Charlie Kirk’ at a protest as, just a month prior, Kirk visited the country to help protest against Christian persecution.
There have been peaceful vigils in many other countries as well as Spain, Germany, and Australia, where many came together in the biggest cities of the countries and had candle-lit vigils in memory of Kirk and for freedom of speech
The Tiger Times 
Anonymous
October 21, 2025
wonderful I love it