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Yesterday, Charlie Kirk, beloved conservative voice and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed by a gunman while speaking at an event for his American Comeback Tour on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah.

The news of his death has shaken conservative America to its core.

“I’ve only felt this way one time before,” Glenn Beck says. “I had just signed a contract with Premiere Radio Networks, and my show was to begin on January 1, 2002. And then tragedy struck at the World Trade Center, and I was called and told, ‘You start tomorrow.’”

“I spent most of the day and the night by my bedside praying for the words to share with you on that day. I spent most of the day yesterday in that same position. I pray that the words that I need to speak to you today come from Him and that you hear them,” he says through tears.

“There are moments when words from another age suddenly feel as though they were written for this moment,” Glenn says.

He references the famous 1947 poem by Dylan Thomas titled “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” which is written from the perspective of a son pleading with his ailing father to fight against impending death.

“Do not go gentle into that good night / Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” the speaker beseeches.

Thomas’ words are “a mandate for all of us,” Glenn says. “Do not go quietly when truth is on the line. Do not surrender. Do not surrender to the shadows, even when — and especially if — you think the battle can no longer be won.”

“Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who wanted him silenced. But Charlie pressed on. In his short life, he embodied that defiance.”

But he did it not with hatred or vengeance but with “the kind of righteous defiance that has always marked those who refuse to bow to the idols of our age,” Glenn says.

Like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams, who “raged against the certainty of an empire,” knowing full well that “the gallows awaited them,” Charlie Kirk fearlessly fought the encroaching darkness of our time.

“Every single generation is called to resist the temptation to go quietly into the good night. It’s just our turn,” Glenn says.

He compares Charlie’s shocking death to “a knockout punch … another body blow in a season that is already heavy with grief.”

But we are not out of the game. If anything, Charlie’s death is a rally call — a cry for courage and strength in the face of unspeakable evil.

“I am here to tell you, if his life meant anything, it’s this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option,” Glenn says.

“He did not go gently. He stood. He spoke. He challenged. He knew, as Dylan Thomas wrote, that even the wise men and the good men must resist the dying of the light because surrender only hastens the darkness.”

“Today, that mantle falls to us — to me, to you, to every single person alive today that hears my voice,” he says.

“You and I cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage. But rage not with hatred … not with anger, but with courage. Rage not in violence, but in truth-telling. Rage against the lies, against the apathy, against the hopelessness that says there is nothing you can do,” he continued.

“There is always something you can do,” Glenn encourages.

“The most defiant act in an age when the world throws hate around like it could be purchased in any dime store or 7-Eleven is an act of kindness. When you offer nothing but love, kindness, and the unrelenting truth, those are the flames in the night. Those are the flames that hold back the darkness.”

“My friend Charlie Kirk carried that torch. He was forced to lay it down yesterday. And it is ours to pick up.”

To hear Glenn’s full response, watch the episode above.

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As the manhunt continues for the assassin in the killing of Charlie Kirk, Democratic leaders are deflecting blame while hypocritically pointing the finger at Republicans.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both New York Democrats, rushed to gain the attention of media microphones to inoculate the left from blame.

‘This is awful and the assassination of Charlie Kirk risks an uncorking of political chaos and violence that we cannot risk in America.’

Schumer and Jeffries were asked by a reporter to comment on President Donald Trump blaming the left for the rhetoric that may have led to the assassination of the conservative activist.

“This is a time that all Americans should come together and mourn what happened. Violence, which affects so many different people of so many different political persuasions, is an affliction of America,” said Schumer to reporters.

“And coming together is what we ought to be doing, not pointing fingers of blame,” he continued.

“This moment requires leadership that brings the American people together as opposed to further divide us,” said Jeffries.

“Political violence in any form against any American is unacceptable, to be denounced by everyone, and moving forward, we have to figure out a better way to come together,” he added. “Not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans.”

RELATED: ‘It’s the death of free speech!’ Jay Leno expresses his shock at killing of Charlie Kirk

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York made an especially passionate screed against Trump.

“They can finger-point all they want. Look at the record!” said Ocasio-Cortez in comments captured by Manu Raju of CNN.

“Look at the actions of what we’re actually doing. I don’t think a single person who has dedicated their entire career to preventing gun safety legislation from getting passed in this House has any right to blame anybody else but themselves for what has happened!” she added.

“When a politician tries to blame words for an action, they need to look at their action and their record. Enough of this! This is horrific,” Ocasio-Cortez continued. “This is awful, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk risks an uncorking of political chaos and violence that we cannot risk in America.”

Authorities are searching for a person of interest in the incident and have released images of him.

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The second family will reportedly convey Charlie Kirk’s casket and family from Utah to Arizona.

Fox News reported that JD Vance’s family will fly Kirk’s casket from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Phoenix, Arizona, aboard Air Force Two. The flight will likely take place Thursday night, according to reports.

‘He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.’

Vance expressed his heartfelt sorrow for the death of a close friend and confidant. He described Kirk’s encouragement for him to run for Senate in early 2021, saying Kirk was one of the first people he called.

“Someone else pointed out that Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. He would go into these hostile crowds and answer their questions. If it was a friendly crowd, and a progressive asked a question to jeers from the audience, he’d encourage his fans to calm down and let everyone speak,” Vance wrote on X. “He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic: the willingness to speak openly and debate ideas.”

RELATED: The right pays tribute to Charlie Kirk

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Concluding his post, Vance wrote, “And now that Charlie is in heaven, I’ll ask him to talk to big man directly on behalf of his family, his friends, and the country he loved so dearly. You ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.”

Turning Point USA is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Friends and family attended a prayer vigil Wednesday night following the atrocious assassination.

Kirk’s family and friends will be with the second family on the flight.

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“Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble” (Job 14:1).

Why we should read this reminder: God is sovereign over suffering and, in His time, repurposes unspeakable evil for redemptive good. The question of evil appears to be eternal, but evil did, in fact, have a beginning. And just as evil had a beginning, it will have an ending. Evil is not eternal.

Evil may wound, but it cannot win. Pain may overwhelm, but it cannot overcome the resurrection hope we have in Jesus.

On Wednesday, my heart was shattered. Charlie Kirk and I had been texting late Sunday night, finalizing details for his surprise appearance at our Prestonwood Biblical Worldview Conference. Just hours later, our brother and friend was ushered immediately into the presence of Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:8). His life was cut short in an act of unspeakable evil. He was brutally murdered and assassinated.

When we are struck by evil atrocity, our hearts cry out: Why, Lord? We feel the weight of grief pressing down, and worry and fear become destabilizing forces. But in these moments, we need a deeper anchor for our souls.

George Müller, the great 19th-century prayer warrior, once said: “My faith is the same faith which is found in every believer. It has been increased little by little for the last 26 years. Many times, when I would have gone insane from worry, I was at peace because my soul believed the truth of God’s promises.”

Müller’s words remind us of a vital truth: Peace is not found in explanations but in God’s promises.

Worry, even fear, is destabilizing so many of us right now. We need a steady anchor for our souls to stabilize our emotions and help us put one foot in front of the other today.

Oh, how we all need the reminder that our God weeps with us today. Through His Son — and now through His Spirit — God has entered our world of suffering. In the midst of heartbreak and loss, He offers His presence, His peace, His hope, His joy, and the promise of eternal life, even when life makes no sense.

Evil does not make sense, so there is no spiritual value in trying to understand or make evil make sense. Evil is a disruption in all the good God has created for us.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

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We also do not have the right words. That’s OK. Scripture reminds us, “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26).

In light of this, I want to share four biblical anchors that can steady our souls as we grieve Charlie’s loss and face the problem of pain and evil.

1. God allows and is in control of all my challenges

When Joseph was falsely accused by Potiphar’s wife and cast into prison, he suffered unjustly for 13 long years (Genesis 39). Was he in God’s will? Yes. Was God still sovereign? Absolutely.

Only years later, standing before his brothers who had betrayed him, Joseph declared, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). What was meant to destroy Joseph, God used to save a nation and preserve the line of promise that would lead to the Messiah.

The same God is at work in our pain today. That situation in your life that feels unbearable, even senseless — He is still in control. He is not absent. He is bringing good out of evil in ways we cannot yet see.

Please join me in praying for Charlie’s precious wife, children, and family. We cling to the promise that “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). And we take comfort in the truth that “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15).

2. When evil strikes, we live on promises — not explanations

Ultimately, there is little spiritual value or peace from explanations. Explanations rarely heal a broken heart. In fact, answers alone fall flat in the face of evil. But the promises of God never fail. As seekers of truth, we will find the assailants and pray they are brought to justice, but as a pastor, I know more peace will still be needed when “those questions” are answered.

To experience peace, we must learn to live by faith in the promises and character of God. No one lives by having faith in explanations. All of the faith heroes of the scriptures (many who greatly suffered) lived by faith in the promises of God. Faith is taking God at his word, not asking him for an explanation. That doesn’t mean we cannot ask God, “Why?” But in my experience, God wants us to trust him in the moment, rather than ask for an explanation.

When we suffer, we realize how insignificant our lives are apart from living them in the will of God.

Here’s the key when evil strikes: Living by faith means obeying God’s word in spite of feelings, circumstances, or consequences. It means holding on to God’s truth no matter how heavy the burden or how dark the day, knowing that He is working out His perfect plan.

It means living by promises and not by explanations.

We may never know why Charlie’s life was taken so horrifically. Evil does not make sense, nor should we expect it to. Our hope is not in explanations but in the unchanging goodness of God.

3. Suffering can confirm my faith

Suffering strips away our illusions of self-sufficiency and reminds us that apart from God, our lives are fragile and fleeting.

Think of Abraham, who was asked to sacrifice Isaac — the very son of promise (Genesis 22). That moment of unimaginable testing revealed the depth of his trust in God. And in the right time, God provided a ram.

In the same way, when trials overwhelm us, we are given the opportunity to see God as our true provider. Suffering, as painful as it is, refines our faith, anchors our hope, and draws us closer to the Lord who holds our days.

When we suffer, we realize how insignificant our lives are apart from living them in the will of God.

When we walk through suffering, we are reminded how small and fragile our lives are apart from the will of God. Trials strip away illusions and reveal that the true value of life is not found in the temporary, but in what is eternal.

4. Someday everything will become clear, and God’s ultimate purpose will be accomplished

Biblical heroes like Abraham, Joseph, and Job did not understand their trials while they were in the midst of them. Clarity only came later, when they could look back and see the hand of God at work in the crisis.

Even our Lord Jesus entered the depths of sorrow.

On the night before His crucifixion, He confessed to His disciples, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). In agony He prayed, “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). Only hours later, He would endure such profound abandonment that He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).

In our darkest moments, we discover this unshakable truth: Jesus understands, Jesus remains, and Jesus redeems.

This week, with the heartbreaking news of Charlie’s murder, we feel that same weight of sorrow and confusion. Like the great saints of old, we don’t yet have clarity on why such atrocities happen. But we cling to the same promises they did.

The writer of Hebrews reminds us: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15).

And we hold fast to God’s unchanging word: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

Charlie loved Jesus and was unashamed of the gospel. Today, we grieve his loss, but not as those without hope. Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we know this is not the end. The God who provided for Abraham, who redeemed Joseph’s suffering, who restored Job, and who raised Jesus from the grave will one day wipe away every tear.

Until that day, we trust His heart, we rest in His presence, and we lean on His promises.

And God promises us still: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).

In our darkest moments, we discover this unshakable truth: Jesus understands, Jesus remains, and Jesus redeems.

A final word

In this season of heartbreak, let us cling to Christ, our unshakable anchor. Evil may wound, but it cannot win. Pain may overwhelm, but it cannot overcome the resurrection hope we have in Jesus.

Until that day when faith becomes sight, we will trust His heart, rest in His presence, and hold tightly to His promises.

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A day after the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk, the organization he founded released a poignant statement predicting that his legacy would continue to influence millions beyond his untimely death.

Kirk was shot and killed while debating Wednesday at one of his celebrated campus events at Utah Valley University. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has joined the massive manhunt for the shooter.

‘Charlie loved America, its people, its Constitution, its freedom, and the limitless good all of them have done for the world. But above all, Charlie lived every day with an overflowing love of the Christ he knew he would one day get to see.’

On Thursday, Turning Point USA published a touching statement on Facebook celebrating the life of their founder.

“Every one of us at Turning Point USA is crushed and devastated by the hateful murder of our founder and guiding light, Charlie Kirk. All of us have lost a leader, a mentor, and a friend. Above all, our hearts are with Erika and their two children,” the statement read.

The organization asked for prayers for Kirk’s family and called Kirk a martyr for free speech.

“More than anyone, Charlie believed in the power of argument and good-faith debate to find the truth and guide people towards, if not agreement, then at least mutual understanding. Charlie was no stranger to threats. He received thousands throughout his life. But he always prioritized reaching as many young Americans as possible over his own personal safety. Now, Charlie has become America’s greatest martyr to the freedom of speech he so adored,” they continued.

“In his thirty-one years, Charlie lived more than any of us will in a hundred. He had an overwhelming passion for life and a deep belief in his power as an individual to make a difference,” the statement read. “With the spirit of a pioneer, Charlie launched Turning Point out of his parents’ garage as an 18-year-old with no money, no name recognition, only a dream. His energy and drive were awe-inspiring, without equal and deeply infectious. Charlie refused to squander a single day of his life. He was a natural builder and problem solver, who loved a challenge and saw every setback as a chance to learn, grow, pray, and try again. He was fundamentally decent, always eager to make new friends and allies and to support and defend the ones he had already made. His values were timeless American ones: Honesty, forthrightness, duty, loyalty, and fair play.”

The statement then focused on his Christian faith.

“Charlie loved America, its people, its Constitution, its freedom, and the limitless good all of them have done for the world. But above all, Charlie lived every day with an overflowing love of the Christ he knew he would one day get to see,” the organization continued. “When asked, Charlie said that above all he wished to be remembered for his faith. Far more than any political victory, Charlie wanted to see a spiritual revival among America’s youth. He wanted a nation of happy, thriving families who loved God and each other. At his final public speech, just days before his murder, Charlie witnessed to Christ to an audience of nonbelievers. Even in his very last moments, Charlie was professing the Gospel. He ran his race well all the way to the end.”

“Now, he goes to his heavenly reward.”

RELATED: ‘It’s the death of free speech!’ Jay Leno expresses his shock at killing of Charlie Kirk

“Although Charlie is gone, his legacy will endure,” the statement concluded. “He shall not grow old; age shall not weary him. For all time, he will remain the brave young man who inspired tens of millions of Americans to better themselves and take action to better America. All of us will miss Charlie. None of us will ever forget him.”

Authorities released images of a person of interest being sought in the investigation. No one has been arrested yet.

President Donald Trump has announced that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

Kirk was 31 years old.

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Yesterday, America suffered a devastating loss when beloved conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally struck with a bullet in the neck while speaking at an event during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Kirk’s horrific death has sent shockwaves through conservative America, who just lost one of its bravest and most impactful warriors.

“He dared do what the left apparently thinks you should die for, which is have a respectful dialogue,” says Sara Gonzales, BlazeTV host of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered,” fighting back tears.

Charlie’s method was honorable: “Change hearts and minds not by force … not with hate but just with a dialogue,” she says.

Sara finds the timing of Charlie’s murder uncanny — “Charlie was just in the news” a couple days ago when CNN’s Van Jones excoriated him for his comments about the murder of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.

On an episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” Kirk said, “A white Ukrainian refugee was murdered just because she was white; everybody knows that, obviously.”

Van Jones, ignoring the fact that the suspect for Zarutska’s murder was captured on camera saying, “I got that white girl,” ignorantly responded, “For Charlie Kirk to say, ‘We know he did it because she’s white’ when there’s no evidence of that is just pure race mongering, hate mongering. It’s wrong.”

“Charlie Kirk, he should be ashamed of himself. No one mentioned the word race, white, black, or anything except him,” Jones lied.

“And you wonder why people are being radicalized,” says Sara.

“If you’re listening to CNN, you’re thinking that Charlie Kirk is the actual bad guy, not the guy who said [‘I got that white girl’].”

And that, she says, is precisely why he was murdered yesterday.

“Was this only a matter of time? They tried to kill our president. That didn’t work. They’re just going to start what — going after all of us now?” she asks.

BlazeTV contributor Matthew Marsden adds, “We’ve said on this show many, many times that if you call someone a white supremacist, if you call them a Nazi, if you call them a fascist, then what you’re doing is you’re justifying any violence that is being committed against them because those things are evil.”

For the liberals who are now making statements on social media bemoaning Kirk’s death and condemning political violence, he has a powerful message: “You’re all guilty of this.”

To hear more of Sara and Marsden’s reaction to yesterday’s horrific news, watch the episode above.

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Reactions flooded in long into Wednesday night, following the public assassination of Charlie Kirk. Some were angry; others wept; some were numb; others, cautious; and still others openly celebrated. Few, however, grasped the scale of the personal intensity Americans felt.

We live in an age of instant information and cheap virality, and we have to struggle with the contradictory feelings of social isolation and personal connectivity the handheld-screen age brings. This is that age’s first truly awful monocultural moment. It’s going to take time to truly know what this cruel murder means for these United States, but you can be sure it’s much bigger than we think.

A lot of people who didn’t know Charlie felt like they did. And they see a mentor or a friend, a younger or older brother, a son, a father, a husband.

We’ve experienced awful viral moments before. Just earlier this week, we were gripped by video of a beautiful Ukrainian woman stabbed to death on public transit. Only last year, the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump and the murder of a father and husband in front of his family echoed from country music to hip-hop and from Capitol Hill politics to boardwalk T-shirts.

Although we heard of Corey Comperatore’s sacrifice and prayed for him and his family, most of us didn’t know him. The footage from that July afternoon showed a president unbowed and unbroken, triumphant and defiant, pumping his fist above his head and rallying his supporters. We were shocked at how close we had come to a world-changing event — how a breeze, a projector screen, and the Holy Spirit had saved this country from open violence.

This time is different. There’s no embattled but victorious defiance. There’s a quiet, sinking feeling. It was hard to go to sleep last night knowing that Charlie’s widow put her toddler and baby to bed in a world where Daddy isn’t coming home. In the morning, nothing had changed that. Capitol Hill was quiet, and St. Peter’s lonely bells marked the moment the Pentagon had been hit. They could have tolled for a country once more on the brink, 24 years on.

There’s another difference between Utah and Butler. It’s a sad thing to admit, but the American people know presidential assassinations. We know assassinations of politicians, too. If you lived a full life in these United States, born any time in the past 200 years, you’ve seen a president shot or even killed. We don’t like it, but we understand that our presidents have stepped into the arena. Even awful attacks on representatives, senators, governors, and mayors seem to somehow fit into our violent American experience.

Charlie doesn’t fit. He was young — far too young. He held conventions and he had a podcast, and he went to college campuses to set up a tent to debate other viewpoints and see if he could convince or be convinced himself. He didn’t insult people or try to make them look stupid for clicks and laughs. If he was “controversial” and “divisive,” it was because some people disagreed with his beliefs — beliefs shared by millions of normal Americans.

We knew he could change his mind in a debate, because we saw it happen after he debated Tucker Carlson on the government’s role in its citizens’ lives. When I first met him, he was probably 25 and not yet married. I was shocked by his kind humility and his hunger to learn from people around him. He wasn’t brash or conceited in the way most people are when they achieve the success he had by that age. And he was very hardworking.

I didn’t see a dry eye on BlazeTV or Fox News Wednesday night, because all of us had the opportunity to meet this man, either as a friend or just a friendly acquaintance, or a student, or a guest, or a host. We all knew him, but the very personal feelings of loss extended far outside those of us who shared an industry with him.

Charlie’s qualities were on display to the millions of Americans who tuned in to his show, or who came out to his events on campus, or who were first introduced to these ideas by his work. Remember: Before the shot rang out, you’d probably have had to be a Utah reporter or Utah Valley University student or local to know Charlie was even there, and yet thousands of young people had turned out to see him.

When are some other times you saw thousands of young people turn out for a speaker? Especially one who isn’t a politician. It’s not very common, and for a peaceful while, it wasn’t even news — just another leg on the tour. How many times had Charlie done this: shaken hands, taken pictures, or just responded to tweets and comments from young fans? Far beyond the people who were his friends or who knew him are the millions who felt like they knew him.

Sure, our technological age can isolate us, but it can also bring people we’ve never met into our lives. It can create the feeling of knowing someone, especially when you tune in every week — or every day. A lot of people who didn’t know Charlie felt like they did. And they see a mentor or a friend, a younger or older brother, a son, a father, a husband.

And what was he doing when he was gunned down? He wasn’t egging on a crowd, jeering at protesters, sneering that elections have consequences, or blaring into a megaphone. He was seated under a tent on a sunny day with an open mic, engaged in open dialogue on an American college campus. There’s no good reason on God’s green earth he should not have been allowed to call his wife that evening or see his young children again.

This isn’t taxes or health care or energy policy. This isn’t even the shooting of a famous politician or the murder of a beautiful stranger, as horrible and jarring as those things are. This hits deeper.

When people celebrated his assassination, they weren’t talking about someone who wielded power — they were talking about someone who believed a lot of things we believe, who had a young, happy family, and who was engaged in fair discourse on a peaceful campus.

On her show last night, host Emily Jashinsky wondered if the name he chose for his organization those 13 years ago was prophetic. I can’t say. I know he knew what we were up against, though. I know he’ll be remembered for a long time, and I know his absence will be felt terribly by his wife and his children, his friends and his colleagues, and by millions beyond them. And I do know this is a moment that will be remembered for many, many years.

Our chances aren’t great. It doesn’t have to get worse. That’s not yet written. But that means things are going to have to get a lot better — and fast. This is it. This is our turning point. Which way, America?

“After Party with Emily Jashinsky”: Honoring the legacy of Charlie Kirk, with Chris and Sarah Bedford

Blaze News: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

The Spectator: Charlie Kirk saw himself as holding back a revolution

Blaze News: Greg Gutfeld fires off emotional message after assassination of Charlie Kirk

Blaze News: New York Times continues SPLC demonization of Charlie Kirk, accuses him of provocation

Blaze News: MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd fired over Charlie Kirk comments

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Jay Leno expressed his shock and bewilderment about the assassination of Charlie Kirk in a call to a local Los Angeles radio talk show Wednesday evening.

Leno expressed his outrage to Tim Conway Jr. on his KFI AM show about the death of Kirk and opined that it was a political assassination meant to squelch free speech.

‘A lot of times, you watch somebody like Charlie Kirk, it might enforce your beliefs more or it might change your mind. But at least it gets you thinking.’

“It’s not a random shooting. It’s the death of free speech!” said Leno, after saying he had listened to Kirk before the attack. “To think that you are so illiterate and so stupid you can’t answer verbally, and you have to shoot somebody with a gun to ‘win the argument.'”

He contrasted the current political climate with that of many decades ago when political opponents would debate often in public.

“You know, when I was in school, lively debate was unbelievable — to have the SDS, the Students for Democratic Society, debate somebody else, I can remember when James Baldwin debated William F. Buckley at Oxford University. It was just fascinating,” Leno added. “Here are two guys, both way smarter than I am, and I understood both their points of view. It was just fascinating.”

He went on to compare the killing to the shooting of student protesters at Kent State in 1970.

“This is a political assassination of a man I didn’t necessarily agree with but I certainly enjoyed listening to,” Leno continued.

“A lot of times you watch somebody like Charlie Kirk, it might enforce your beliefs more or it might change your mind. But at least it gets you thinking,” he added. “At least you’re thinking about what’s going on.”

RELATED: ‘You woke us the f**k up!’ Greg Gutfeld fires off message on Fox News after assassination of Charlie Kirk

Leno seemed to be exasperated by the horrible incident and had trouble expressing his feelings at times.

“It’s really the death of free speech,” he concluded.

As of Thursday afternoon, no suspect in the shooting has been apprehended, but authorities have released two images of a person of interest whom they are seeking.

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half mast in honor of Kirk and has announced he will award him a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.

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A new comic book series was canceled after the writer mocked the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was murdered during a stop on his campus tour at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, leaving behind his loving family that includes his wife and two children. Kirk was just 31 years old.

‘We place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints.’

On the same day the first issue of DC Comics’ “Red Hood” was released in stores, the company announced it was canceling any future orders of the series. “Red Hood” is a spinoff from the “Batman” universe, with the main character being Batman’s former sidekick, Robin.

In a statement sent to retailers late on Wednesday, DC wrote, “DC Comics cancels existing orders for Red Hood #2 and Red Hood #3, and any orders for future issues of the series.”

“DC Comics will credit retailers for all invoiced copies of Red Hood #1, inclusive of copies that may have already been sold,” the publisher wrote, according to Popverse.

The cancellation comes after the comic’s writer, Gretchen Felker-Martin, allegedly posted horrific commentary about Kirk’s death on the social media platform Bluesky.

Felker-Martin’s name appears on the cover of “Red Hood” as one of the writers.

As reported by Bounding Into Comics, the writer seemingly took to her Bluesky account to mock Kirk within an hour of the news of his shooting.

“Thoughts and prayers you Nazi bitch,” the post read. But it did not stop there.

RELATED: Leftists show their true colors after Charlie Kirk is shot — and it’s absolutely sickening

Photo by Ollie Millington/Getty Images

Adding to the heartless display, the post added, “Hope the bullet’s okay after touching Charlie Kirk.”

Without mentioning Felker-Martin’s name, DC Comics responded to Popverse after the outlet reached out asking for the reason behind the canceled comic.

“At DC Comics, we place the highest value on our creators and community and affirm the right to peaceful, individual expression of personal viewpoints,” DC Comics said in a statement. “Posts or public comments that can be viewed as promoting hostility or violence are inconsistent with DC’s standards of conduct.”

Felker-Martin’s Bluesky page no longer exists at the time of this publication, and a search on the social platform for her name did not bring up any other profiles.

RELATED: ‘You woke us the f**k up!’ Greg Gutfeld fires off message on Fox News after assassination of Charlie Kirk

Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

The second and third issues for “Red Hood” had already been scheduled, but will seemingly never hit the shelves. Issue No. 2 was set for release on October 2, 2025, while the third issue was scheduled for November 12, 2025.

Both issues had Felker-Martin announced as the writer. The series was also meant for a mature audience, with a rating of 17+.

Felker-Martin was the subject of headlines in 2022 after writing a horror novel that featured author J.K. Rowling dying in a fire at the hands of transgender activists, according to Daily Mail.

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In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus Wednesday, a clearer and more substantive timeline has been developing as officials gather additional information about the shooting and continue a manhunt for the shooter.

What happened Wednesday?

KTVX-TV reported that Kirk’s American Comeback Tour commenced at noon local time at Utah Valley University in Orem, which is about 10 minutes north of Provo and about 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City.

Mason said the individual they’re after ‘blended in well’ with the university and ‘appears to be of college age.’

The station said Kirk was hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” table in the UVU courtyard. As was typical for the TPUSA founder and his events on college campuses, Wednesday’s event took place outside, and anyone was invited to debate him and ask questions. KTVX reported that around 3,000 people attended the event.

Around 12:20 p.m., Kirk — who was seated under a tent — was in the middle of a question-and-answer exchange when he was struck by a bullet, the New York Times reported. Kirk was hit in the neck, blood gushed from the wound, and he slumped from his seated position. As those in attendance scattered and took cover, Kirk was rushed to a local hospital.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 in Orem, Utah. Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

At 12:42 p.m., UVU sent an alert stating that a suspect was in custody and police were investigating, KTVX said.

RELATED: Leftists show their true colors after Charlie Kirk is shot — and it’s absolutely sickening

Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

By 1:10 p.m., a UVU spokesperson confirmed that Kirk was shot but said his condition was unknown, KTVX noted, adding that the spokesperson said a suspect actually was not in custody.

At 1:37 p.m., UVU announced that the campus was closed and classes were canceled until further notice, KTVX reported, adding that all students were ordered to leave the school immediately.

At 2:40 p.m., President Donald Trump confirmed that Kirk was dead, KTVX said. Trump announced the following on Truth Social, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

The Associated Press said a single shot was fired from a rooftop. UVU spokeswoman Ellen Treanor told the Wall Street Journal, “We think the shot was fired from the Losee Center building, which is about 200 yards from the courtyard where Charlie Kirk was speaking.”

RELATED: Police: We have images of suspected Charlie Kirk assassin

Photo by Kadri Suat Celik/Anadolu via Getty Images

FBI Director Kash Patel later on Wednesday posted the following updates on X, after which the AP complained on its live feed that “it wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone remained in custody, or if the shooter was still at large as law enforcement provided evolving and difficult-to-reconcile information.”

— (@)

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said at a news conference Thursday morning that “a couple of persons of interest were located” in the shooting aftermath. However, after officials interviewed them, Mason said they were cleared of suspicion and were released. Mason urged the public “to be patient with the investigative process” and said the pair unjustly “faced scrutiny” and “threats” and “don’t deserve that harassment.”

KTVX said George Zinn was the first individual taken into custody and Zachariah Qureshi was the second individual taken into custody; the station echoed Mason’s report, saying both of them were released. However, the New York Times, citing officials, said Zinn was booked and accused of obstruction of justice.

By 7:54 p.m., the Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed that a manhunt was under way for the shooting suspect, KTVX said.

What has happened so far Thursday?

At Thursday morning’s news conference, Mason said Kirk’s body was “moved to the state office of the medical examiner” on Wednesday night and that “we’ll continue to facilitate movements to get him home today with his family.”

Mason also announced some “breakthroughs” in the investigation.

He said officials were able to track the shooting suspect’s movements starting at 11:52 a.m. Wednesday when the individual arrived on campus — and all the way through “stairwells” and to the roof “across from the shooting location.” Mason said the individual “jumped off” the building and “fled” from the campus and “into a neighborhood.”

Mason added that investigators spoke to people in the neighborhood to see if any of them have doorbell cameras.

He also emphasized that “we have good video” of the individual in question but that it won’t be released “at this time.” Mason said investigators are using technology to identify the shooting suspect and that “we will catch this individual.”

Around 10 a.m. local time Thursday, the FBI in Salt Lake City posted the following on X:

— (@)

Robert Bohls, FBI special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City Field Office, added during Thursday morning’s news conference that investigators “recovered” what they believe “is the weapon” used in Kirk’s assassination. Bohls said it’s a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” found in a “wooded area” and that an FBI lab is analyzing it.

Bohls also said a “footwear impression, palm print, and forearm imprints” are being analyzed as well. He also said members of the public can submit their own “video or images” related to the shooting to the agency’s digital media website — www.fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting — or call 800-CALL-FBI.

Mason said the individual they’re after “blended in well” with the university and “appears to be of college age.”

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The political assassination of TPUSA founder and conservative figurehead Charlie Kirk has left the American right devastated. Many leaders and influential figures have spoken out to pay tribute to Kirk and speak to the impact he had on their lives and on the country.

President Donald Trump

In a video message from the Oval Office, President Trump said Wednesday night he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.” The president praised Kirk as “a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much.” He went on to call him “a martyr for truth and freedom” and to say: “Together, we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come.”

Trump also remembered Kirk during his remarks Thursday at the Pentagon marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. “Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” the president said.

‘We mourn his death, we take up his cause, and we entrust him, as he confidently entrusted himself, to God’s care.’

Vice President JD Vance

In a post on X, Vice President JD Vance wrote, “Charlie Kirk was a true friend. The kind of guy you could say something to and know it would always stay with him.” He said that Kirk’s tireless support for him during his rise in politics was simply “because we were friends, and because he was a good man.” Vance praised Kirk as “a great family man,” adding, “He was so happy to be a father.” In addressing the assassination, Vance wrote, “Charlie died doing what he loved: discussing ideas. … He exemplified a foundational virtue of our Republic.”

Related: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Photo by Jeff Kowalsky / Contributor via Getty Images

Dennis Prager

In a post on X, Dennis Prager, the founder of PragerU and a prominent voice on the right, wrote that he was “devastated.”

“We have lost the most articulate spokesman for America and its unique value system,” he added. Prager went on to describe his family’s friendship with the Kirk family, recalling how Kirk took the time to visit him many times when he was hospitalized. “The loss to us personally and to the country generally is immeasurable.”

Michael Knowles

In an article for the Daily Wire, Michael Knowles, host of “The Michael Knowles Show” and a prominent Catholic conservative commentator, eulogized Kirk as a fearless voice for Christian values. “Charlie’s only fear was the holy sort — awe and wonder, the beginning of wisdom — and his clearest virtues were the theological: faith, hope, and charity.” Knowles wrote that “the zeal with which he debated politics paled in comparison to the excitement with which he discussed religion.” Knowles went on to praise Kirk’s tireless work in building “a generational coalition that helped to transform the American government.” Addressing Kirk’s murder, he wrote, “We mourn his death, we take up his cause, and we entrust him, as he confidently entrusted himself, to God’s care.”

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The FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety provided an update Thursday on the progress of the investigation into the political assassination of Charlie Kirk at his Utah Valley University event.

Beau Mason, the commissioner for the UDPS, said police have images of the suspect through videos not yet released to the public and that a bolt-action rifle was recovered in the woods nearby. Mason used male pronouns to describe the suspect and said he appears to be college-age.

‘We do have good video footage of this individual.’

“We have tracked his movement onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location. After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building, and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood,” Mason explained.

Mason said police have combed the neighborhood for security camera footage.

“We do have good video footage of this individual. We are not going to release that at this time. We are working through some technologies and some ways to identify this individual,” he continued, adding that if police are unable to properly identify the suspect, they will then ask the public for help.

— (@)

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

Thursday’s update comes as frustration mounts that no suspect is in custody. One man handcuffed moments after the attack was later let go, and another person whom the FBI took into custody a few hours later was also released.

Charlie Kirk, 31, leaves behind a wife and two young children.

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​Politics 

President Donald Trump revealed at the outset of his remarks commemorating the 9/11 attacks on Thursday that he will posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, a 31-year-old Christian father of two, was assassinated on Wednesady at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, Utah.

‘He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people.’

“Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt,” Trump told the crowd in the courtyard of the Pentagon. “Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people.”

“Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Erika, and his beautiful children,” continued Trump. “We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage that he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on.”

RELATED: New York Times continues SPLC demonization of Charlie Kirk, accuses him of provocation

Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

After announcing he would award the fallen patriot the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Trump guaranteed that the crowd for the corresponding ceremony would be “very big.”

— (@)

The Medal of Freedom was established by President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

While it is supposed to be awarded to individuals like Kirk — those “who have made exceptional contributions to the security or national interests of America, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors” — former President Joe Biden awarded it in his final months in office to a woman who made millions of dollars helping snuff out millions of American lives; to accused sex creep and former Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd (Conn.); Democrat mega-donor George Soros; failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton; and former members of the Jan. 6 committee.

In addition to promoting free speech, limited government, and love for God through his organization, Kirk personally worked to bridge the chasm between disparate factions, engaging in civil debate across the country and abroad.

Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, has worked on over 3,500 college and high school campuses to empower young Americans to become leaders in their communities, to stand up for America’s founding principles, and to foster civic engagement.

Trump noted in his video-taped remarks following Kirk’s death on Wednesday that the young man was a “martyr for truth and freedom” whose death was the result, in part, of incendiary leftist rhetoric.”

The president added, “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people.”

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The mainstream media is pointing the finger at Republicans in the aftermath of the horrific assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was shot and killed at the Utah Valley University campus on Wednesday during the first stop of his highly anticipated college campus tour. Kirk was rushed to a nearby hospital, where the 31-year-old later passed away, leaving behind his wife, Erika, and their two beautiful children.

‘Is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence?’

Less than 24 hours later, CBS host Nate Burleson made a classless insinuation that Republicans are to blame for the atrocity, asking former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) if his party should “reflect on political violence” following Kirk’s murder. At the same time, Burleson took it upon himself to remind the audience of Kirk’s “offensive” rhetoric.

“Not everyone took to his words or his rhetoric,” Burleson said. “You know, at times, they were offensive to specific communities. But with that said, this is not the time to focus on that. We are focused on this tragedy.”

RELATED: Witnesses say ‘there was not enough security’ prior to horrific Charlie Kirk assassination

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

“Speaking of this tragedy, is this a moment for your party to reflect on political violence?” Burleson asked McCarthy.

“Is it a moment for us to think about the responsibility of our political leaders and their voices and what it does to the masses as they get lost in misinformation or disinformation that turns in and spills into political violence?” Burleson reiterated.

McCarthy rejected Burleson’s premise that Republicans are to blame. Another panelist interjected, “I say both parties.”

“I don’t even say parties; I say a nation,” McCarthy responded.

“We have watched this political attack on both sides,” McCarthy said. “We’ve watched what happened in Minnesota. We watched what happened to President Trump. We’ve watched this on both sides. This is not a question about parties; this is a question about nations.”

“We cannot normalize this,” McCarthy added. “But Charlie was not elected.”

CBS did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Blaze News.

RELATED: New York Times continues SPLC demonization of Charlie Kirk, accuses him of provocation

Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images

Burleson was not the only media talking head to pin the blame on Republicans. During the live coverage of the horrific assassination, MSNBC host Matthew Dowd seemingly blamed Kirk because he was “divisive.”

Dowd said, “He’s been one of the most divisive — especially divisive younger figures — in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups.

“And I always go back to: Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that’s the environment we’re in. … You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we’re in.”

After Dowd’s remarks aired, MSNBC’s public relations account on X issued a statement disavowing the host, and the network later fired him.

“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable,” MSNBC president Rebecca Kutler said in the statement. “We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise.”

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During the live news coverage of the assassination of Charlie Kirk, many political figures issued statements of prayer and condolence for the atrocious killing of the beloved conservative leader. However, some people broke away from delivering a compassionate message.

MSNBC analyst Matthew Dowd was fired following his “insensitive” comments during the live coverage of the Charlie Kirk shooting, Variety first reported.

‘Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.’

According to Variety, MSNBC anchor Katy Tur asked Dowd about “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.”

Responding to the question, Dowd said, “He’s been one of the most divisive — especially divisive younger figures — in this, who is constantly sort of pushing this sort of hate speech or sort of aimed at certain groups.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Rebecca Noble/Getty Images

“And I always go back to: Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that’s the environment we’re in. … You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place. And that’s the unfortunate environment we’re in.”

These comments outraged viewers and internet users, leading to a decision by MSNBC to fire him.

“During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable. We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for violence in America, political or otherwise,” MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said in an MSNBC PR post on X in response.

Dowd issued an apology on Bluesky on Wednesday afternoon, prior to the first reports of his firing.

“My thoughts & prayers are w/ the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. On an earlier appearance on MSNBC I was asked a question on the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and words. Let me be clear, I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack. Let us all come together and condemn violence of any kind.”

Prayer vigils were held across the country Wednesday night to mourn Charlie Kirk’s passing and celebrate his impact on the conservative movement.

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The New York Yankees honored Charlie Kirk before their game on Wednesday night.

The 31-year-old political commentator was murdered at a university event in Utah, leaving behind his wife, Erika, and two children.

‘I love the Yankees more than ever right now for this.’

Minutes before their game against the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees’ scoreboard lit up with Kirk’s face and the message, “Remembering Charlie Kirk.”

Just before 7 p.m. local time — five minutes before their usual start time — the Yankees also posted a message on their X page with a picture of the stadium’s massive screen that showed the patriotic American.

“Before tonight’s game we held a moment of silence in memoriam of Charlie Kirk,” the message read. “Kirk founded the youth activist group ‘Turning Point USA’ and had become a fixture on college campuses. Charlie Kirk, a husband and father of two children, was 31 years old.”

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Fans were overwhelmingly pleased with the somewhat surprising gesture by the Yankees organization.

“I love the Yankees more than ever right now for this,” one fan wrote on X.

“Massive respect for doing this,” another fan said in response to the Yankees’ post.

Another added, “Thank you. Charlie Kirk is a national hero.”

Gary Sheffield Jr., who hosts a popular Yankees podcast, told Blaze News he was shocked at the team’s gesture but that he agreed with it “100%”

Sheffield continued, “But where are the other 29 teams?” referring to the fact that only the Yankees appeared to share condolences for Kirk.

“The Los Angeles Dodgers want to be outspoken when it fits their niche community. How about a voice now in the face of hate and violence for the rest of the country?” the broadcaster added.

Sheffield cited different activist events previously held at Dodger Stadium, which included an anti-Catholic sex group for a Pride night celebration.

The baseball analyst shared a similar sentiment on X, where he stated, “Something is seriously wrong with the political discourse in this country.”

RELATED: Witnesses say ‘there was not enough security’ prior to horrific Charlie Kirk assassination

The Yankees are set to host President Donald Trump on Thursday to honor the victims and heroes of September 11, 2001. In advance of Trump’s visit, the club announced tightened security measures.

The Yankees lost 11-1 to the Tigers on Wednesday; the Tigers are also the opponent for Thursday’s game.

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Democrats and the liberal media spent years characterizing President Donald Trump as a would-be dictator, a Nazi, a threat to democracy, and a danger to minorities. This demonization campaign set the stage for at least two known attempted assassinations.

In advance of his alleged Sept. 15, 2024, attempt on Trump’s life, Ryan Routh even parroted word for word some of the alarmist rhetoric pushed by the president’s liberal critics.

‘This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country.’

Trump’s good friend, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, was similarly long the subject of a liberal demonization campaign.

On Wednesday, the loving husband and father of two was assassinated in broad daylight in front of a massive crowd at Utah Valley University.

“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree, day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” President Donald Trump said in a video statement after Kirk’s death.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” continued Trump. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today — and it must stop right now.”

— (@)

Following Kirk’s assassination, the New York Times released an obituary titled “Charlie Kirk, Right-Wing Provocateur and Close Ally of Trump, Dies at 31.”

While an earlier version was relatively benign and largely stuck to the facts, the obituary was expanded over the course of several hours to include numerous critical elements, some reminiscent of a smear report published by the Southern Poverty Law Center in May.

‘They’d love nothing more than to see TPUSA in the crosshairs.’

The obituary not only accused Kirk of spreading “unsupported claims and outright lies” and attacked him for “embracing the false right-wing narrative that Mr. Trump had actually won the White House in his race against Joseph R. Biden Jr.,” but suggested that the deceased had added “an antisemitic twist” to the “popular far-right idea that immigrants will soon displace white Americans.”

RELATED: If ‘words are violence,’ why won’t the left own theirs?

White House photo

The Times made sure to suggest that Kirk amplified the left’s go-to bogeyman of 2024, “Christian nationalism,” and claimed he “continued to provoke,” citing as an example his willingness to question the popular hagiographies for George Floyd and Martin Luther King Jr.

Whereas the Times toned down its insinuations about the assassinated conservative’s imagined bigotry in light of the circumstances, it nevertheless drew on a nasty narrative constructed over time by liberal critics of Kirk and his organization.

One of the most inflammatory publications bolstering this false narrative was the SPLC’s May 22 “Year in Hate and Extremism 2024” report, which contained a lengthy section titled “Turing Point USA: A Case Study of the Hard Right in 2024.”

The SPLC report stated that Kirk’s organization was “emblematic” of the American political right’s supposed embrace of “aggressive state and federal power to enforce a social order rooted in white supremacy” against a backdrop of “patriarchal Christian supremacy dedicated to eroding the value of inclusive democracy and public institutions.”

It further suggested that Kirk’s organization was advancing a “narrow vision” that fights for “white, male, Christian dominance in America” and results in the demonization of nonconforming men, women, and “nonbinary people.”

In addition to noting — as the Times did Wednesday in its obituary — that Kirk criticized Martin Luther King Jr., claiming he did so to “discredit civil rights legislation,” the SPLC suggested that Kirk framed Christianity as superior and Christians as persecuted to justify TPUSA’s “extreme, authoritarian vision for the country that threatens the foundation of our democracy.”

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The section on Kirk and TPUSA concludes with, “Turning Point USA’s effort to sow fear and division to enforce social hierarchies rooted in supremacism is emblematic of the hard right’s broader political project to destroy our foundational democratic principles and institutions.”

Kirk responded to the hit piece on May 25, stating, “The SPLC has added Turning Point to their ridiculous ‘hate group’ list, right next to the KKK and neo-Nazis, a cheap smear from a washed-up org that’s been fleecing scared grandmas for decades.”

“Their game plan? Scare financial institutions into debanking us, pressure schools to cancel us, and demonize us so some unhinged lunatic feels justified targeting us,” continued Kirk. “Remember the Family Research Council? An SPLC-inspired gunman went after them. They’d love nothing more than to see TPUSA in the crosshairs.”

Even after Kirk called it out, the SPLC kept smearing the patriot.

The day before Kirk’s assassination, the SPLC listed Kirk in its September “Hatewatch” report.

Blaze News has reached out to the White House and to the SPLC for comment.

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Following the vicious assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, multiple witnesses in attendance told Blaze News that there weren’t enough security measures in place at the event.

Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University on Wednesday before he was rushed to a vehicle and driven to a nearby hospital. Sources initially told Blaze News that he was in critical condition but later confirmed that he had passed away.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated Wednesday night that a “subject” who had been in custody “has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.”

Kirk was 31 years old and is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two beautiful children.

‘All of the students dropped to the ground, including me.’

Two brothers, Tyler and Seth Teasdale, are both UVU alumni and attended the Kirk event on Wednesday. In the chaotic aftermath, the two witnesses told Blaze News that the security measures in place were insufficient.

Tyler, 27, was immediately met with the chaos of the scene when he was pulling into a parking lot and saw a black SUV speeding away.

“I didn’t know it at the time, but as I was pulling into this parking lot right near where the event was being held, a black SUV pulled out going 70 miles per hour down a 20 mile per hour road,” Tyler told Blaze News.

“The back door was wide open, like 90 degrees, and it was the vehicle that had Charlie Kirk in it.”

Tyler noted the disarray at the scene, saying that “everyone was screaming” as he watched the SWAT teams arrive.

“There was not enough security there,” Tyler told Blaze News. “There was four bodyguards, basically only Charlie’s team.”

“There was not one police officer in sight.”

RELATED: ‘There was a shooter on a rooftop’: Charlie Kirk assassination witness says shot did not come from the crowd

Your browser does not support the video tag. Video provided to Blaze News by Tyler Teasdale

When a police officer did arrive, Tyler spent over an hour helping law enforcement find and speak with witnesses. Law enforcement initially apprehended an older man in work clothes who was originally believed to be the suspect, but UVU later confirmed that “a suspect” was still at large.

Everyone Tyler spoke with theorized that the older man who was first arrested took the fall for the actual shooter, who they say shot from higher up. A UVU spokesman also confirmed that the shot was taken from roughly 200 yards away from the stage.

Seth was on the ground when Kirk was shot. The 23-year-old told Blaze News he was roughly 30 feet center-left from the fountain in the lawn area when the shot rang out.

Seth told Blaze News that people remained standing at first, wondering if it was a firecracker. He recounted that a few men started yelling, “Get on the ground! Take cover!”

“All of the students dropped to the ground, including me,” Seth told Blaze News.

The students stayed there for five to 10 seconds before people started panicking, Seth said. He also saw people jumping into the nearby fountain, which is only a few feet deep, because “it was the fastest escape.”

“I thought about jumping in,” Seth told Blaze News.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk murdered in college campus assassination

Your browser does not support the video tag. Video provided to Blaze News by Tyler Teasdale

“There’s so many rooftops around Charlie, I was thinking how easy it would be,” Seth told Blaze News. “I was a bit concerned because of what happened with Trump.”

“I didn’t see any cops on the rooftops,” Seth added. “Around 10 minutes before it happened, I noticed that there wasn’t anybody on the rooftops.”

In the moments after, Seth described all the attendees flooding into the cafeteria soaking wet and crying. Amid the mayhem, Seth reflected on Kirk’s character.

“Charlie is an amazing guy,” Seth said.

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An elderly man laughed about his fight with two alleged thieves who tried to rob him of an expensive gold watch while he was walking along a street in New York City.

Larry Schwartz told WNBC-TV that he was walking from a senior center in Gramercy Park on Aug. 3 when he and his companion were approached by a man who said he was visiting from Dubai. Schwartz says he was wearing a Rolex worth about $46K.

‘I twisted her pretty good, including her body. … So I worked her over pretty good.’

“He’s calling me and he’s saying, ‘I’m from Dubai,'” Joanna Cuccia recalled. “I turned around, and I said, ‘Well, welcome to New York.'”

He then asked her for directions to Walmart.

“I said, ‘There are no Walmarts in Manhattan.’ He said, ‘Tell that to my wife,'” Cuccia added.

The couple went to a car parked at the sidewalk, and when Schwartz got near the woman in the car, she slipped what appeared to be a gold watch with diamonds on his wrist.

“It’s a knockoff for somebody stupid or somebody doesn’t know Rolex,” he said. “Right away, I know there’s a problem.”

Schwartz said she tried to unclasp his watch but did not expect the man to fight back. He grabbed her arm and slammed her against the door three times.

“Her body smacked against the door,” he said.

“If I don’t let go of her, he’s going to pull away, and he’s going to drag me down. You know, I’m not smart, but I’m not dumb. So it’s not going to happen,” he added.

The video showed that the couple were able to get away after failing to rob the man.

“I twisted her pretty good, including her body, which I did. I used this battering ram against the inside of the cab. So I worked her over pretty good,” he said.

RELATED: VIDEO: Thug threatens to shoot liquor store owner and runs off when he pulls out his own gun

“She’s got to have one hell of a sore arm,” Schwartz continued. “I also boxed amateur. I have 44 amateur fights, and so I’m not the average person, I know that.”

Schwartz says that he works out religiously.

“They picked on the wrong person,” he said. “People my age don’t work out every day, and they haven’t been working out since they were 14.”

Police are looking for the two suspects, which they describe as a woman in her 30s and a man in his 40s.

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Gov. Spencer Cox (R) and representatives of multiple law enforcement agencies in Utah held a press conference on Wednesday evening to deliver an update on the ongoing investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The officials confirmed that they “were working together” with Charlie Kirk’s private security team.

‘At this point there is no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved.’

“He has his team. They do this all over the country. We all know that. This is not uncommon for them. … I was coordinating with his lead security guy. So yeah, we were working together,” Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long said in the press conference.

RELATED: Charlie Kirk: Loving father, fearless communicator, happy warrior — 1993-2025

Trump ordered all flags to be lowered to half-mast in mourning for Charlie Kirk until Sunday at 6:00pm Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Chief Long expressed his condolences for Kirk’s family and said that this is “a police chief’s nightmare.”

Long confirmed that there were six campus police officers working the event, which was estimated to have “over 3,000” attendees.

Police arrested and booked a “suspect” who later was confirmed not to match the description of the shooter. However, this person has been booked for obstruction of justice by Utah Valley Police Department.

Officials also stated that the suspected shooter was still at large. FBI Director Kash Patel later posted to X that a “subject” who had been “in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement.”

Officials said that there is, at this time, “no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved.”

Officials said the footage they have is from CCTV video, which a spokesperson indicated is of low quality. When asked what they know about the suspected shooter, another spokesperson said that they know that the suspect is dressed in “all dark clothing.”

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