On the 10 th of September, renowned republican activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the Utah Valley University. The 31-year- was speaking in one of his routine campus events when a single bullet struck his neck with fatal consequence. The accused shooter is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah He was charged with murder on Tuesday.
Although Kirk’s life was cruelly cut short, he established an indelible influence on conservative politics in America. In 2012, at the age of eighteen, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative organization “committed to identifying, educating, training, and organizing students to promote freedom,” according to its website. It was created in response to many schools, colleges, and universities in America which advocate left-leaning ideals and disapprove of conservative discussion. Charlie and TPUSA gained popularity during President Trump’s first presidential campaign, and soon became the driving force of the conservative movement among young Americans.
An instrumental factor that catapulted Kirk’s success was his eloquence in speech and confidence in his morals. This gained him a huge audience, especially online, where his talk shows, podcasts, and his debates racked up billions of views. The debates in particular earned Kirk his reputation; beginning in the mid-2010s, he visited college campuses all over the U.S, where he would sit at a table and urge those who disagreed on matters of politics, morals, and religion to debate with him. Over the years, this “prove-me-wrong” style of exchange has sparked hours-worth of fierce debate on controversial topics. Discussion was not limited to political issues however, with religion, LGBTQ, abortion, race, and the role of parents commonly featuring.
In all cases, Kirk asserted himself eloquently, passionately, and truthfully, with his answers seemingly memorized. Many would argue that his persuasive arguments, which regularly left the egos of his opponents wounded, contributed heavily to President Trump’s re-election in 2024. For the fall of 2025, Kirk planned another series of college visits with TPUSA, called “The American Comeback Tour.” The first event, occurring in Utah, would be the site of Kirk’s death.
Poignantly then, it was in doing the very thing that he was loved for that Charlie Kirk was killed. The accused gunman is Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah.
Robinson took the fatal shot from the roof of one of the Losee Center, one of the college’s buildings, and was later turned in to the police by his republican father. On the bullets were included comments such as “Hey fascist, catch!” At the time of writing, Robinson remains in custody, with President Trump stating, “I hope he gets
the death penalty for what he did.”
Charlie Kirk died for his country, the highest honor he ever achieved. On the 10 th of September, just like any other day, he debated with fairness and good intentions, but was silenced by a bullet rather than words. It’s an act of political violence so repugnant that the mere prospect of justifying it is ridiculous. Even so, social media is awash with people celebrating it – taking joy in the bloody murder of a husband and a father of two young children.
Thus, it is apparent that political disagreement in America is developing so far that a life has been taken to the approval of some. As young men and women growing into this increasingly violent political landscape, we must implore God to help us uphold the truth under every circumstance, and protect us in doing so.
May Charlie Kirk rest in peace.
