CADEN HAYNOR / NEWS EDITOR

Charlie Kirk, one of the most well-known right-wing influencers in the country, was shot in the neck on Wednesday, Sept. 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University (UVU). Videos posted online from people at the scene appeared to show Kirk being shot with multiple people screaming and fleeing from the scene.

Over 1,000 people were attending the event, a part of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour,” where Kirk  responded to questions from students, faculty and other guests. This tour was a part of his broader collaboration with Turning Point USA – a non-profit organization that Kirk co-founded with the aim of engaging college students in conservative activism and debate. 

Kirk spoke to large crowds at college campuses. Photo courtesy of @charliekirk1776/Instagram

Kirk  was  a  close  ally  of   President Trump, becoming a conservative figure on college campuses by hosting discussions with students that drew large crowds. Since the election in November, Kirk has been an influence in the White House, assessing prospective appointees on their loyalty to Trump.

On Wednesday, during a conversation about mass shootings, the bullet ripped through the air. Shortly after, UVU posted on social media that they were immediately closing the campus and cancelling all classes. That evening, UVU announced that all classes, in-person and virtual, will be cancelled until Sept. 15. On Sept. 15, faculty and staff returned to campus, but students were set to resume classes on Sept. 17.

Many people were alarmed and worried after hearing about Kirk and the gun violence in Utah. USD sophomore Gavin Kerr explained his immediate reaction to when he heard about the gunshot and questioned its motivation.

“No matter your stance, political action is never in the form of a gun,” Kerr stated. “I may not agree with everything Kirk has said, but I certainly don’t think he deserved to die for voicing his opinions. He was strictly a political commentator, he never held political office. Killing someone who was using their First Amendment rights is wrong no matter what their beliefs are.”

Law enforcement agents detained  two  people the day of Kirk’s death, but officials later determined that the people  that were detained were not the gunman. On the morning of Sept. 11, the FBI announced their third person of interest in this shooting and released photos of him. Officials confirmed that the person of interest blended in  with students and fled to a nearby neighborhood after the shooting. 

That evening, the father of a man named  Tyler Robinson contacted multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. The family member shared that Robinson, 22, had confessed, or implied, that he had committed the crimes. Robinson’s  roommate  Lance Twiggs, a male transitioning to female described as Robsinson’s romantic partner, showed law enforcement officials messages he was  sent on Discord, where Robinson stated that he needed to “retrieve a rifle from a drop point.” Roughly 34 hours after the  shooting, Utah police arrested Robinson about 250 miles  southwest of where Kirk was killed.

Robsinson has been formally charged with aggravated murder and several other felonies. Prosecutors in Utah have announced that they intend to seek the death penalty, with claims of political motivation related to the crime. 

There was immediate bipartisan condemnation of the shooting, with both Democrats and Republicans denouncing the shooting on social media and in Congress. President Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were among a wide range of prominent political leaders condemning the shooting of Charlie Kirk and denouncing political violence. Many USD students flooded social media platforms, sharing their ideas about the shooting. Kerr noticed the large amount of posts and posted something himself. 

“Right when it happened, I saw literally everyone posting about it on social media,” Kerr stated. “The people that follow me probably took it more seriously, too, since I do not normally post about things like that. I saw a lot of people posting about him dying, but I thought the means with which he died was more of an injustice than the actual death.”

Some students had a different reaction to the mass-publication and internet uproar at the shooting. Jill Anne Mallari, a USD junior, outlined her thought process around Kirk’s death.

“My immediate thought was how ironic it was that this was caused by the same ideology he claims is ‘worth risking,’” Mallari explained. “After processing the information and scrolling through everyone’s social media stories, though, my concern shifted. Why was there suddenly an uproar and collective ‘thoughts and prayers?’ Why now am I seeing posts about gun prevention from people who stayed silent through years of genocide, mass shootings, and endless violence? Why are people shaming those who don’t feel the need to grieve a man who made a career out of dehumanizing others and fighting against what it means to be an empathetic human being?”

The political violence in Utah is connected to a recent trend of political polarization in the United States. Dr. Cory Gooding, a political science professor who has been at USD for over nine years, explained where polarization originates and how  it  thrives in  a democratic society.

“Polarization thrives not only on information silos and disinformation, but also, on a kind of individualism that lets people retreat from the demands of common struggle into the false security of isolation,” Dr. Gooding stated.

The shots fired in Utah are not an isolated incident. Gun violence in the United States has been at a historic high, according to a 2025 Pew Research study, where 47,000 people died of gun related injuries in 2023.

Just six minutes before Kirk was shot on Wednesday, another shooting was reported in Colorado. A 16-year-old   student shot two peers and  then  himself at  Evergreen High School, 30 minutes south of Denver. Law enforcement agents who arrived at the scene found the shooter within five minutes of arriving and fired no shots. 

Evergreen high school will remain closed for the next week. Photo courtesy of @christine_dingman/Instagram

After hearing gunshots from the revolver, many students fled the school, going to nearby houses and pounding on doors, as well as a nearby elementary school.

Hundreds of parents gathered outside the school in line to reunite with their children after the shooting. Three students were treated with gunshot wounds in a nearby hospital, the shooter and two of his peers. One of the victims remains in critical condition, but stable, and the other improved from critical to serious condition, as of Sept. 15. The student who fired the gunshots passed away on the same day of the shooting. 

Logan Rains, brother of USD sophomore and Vista A&C editor Riley Rains, is a senior at Evergreen High School and just happened  to  be   off  campus when the shooting occurred. Rains explained how it felt to  experience the aftermath of a shooting on the campus that he has attended for four years.

“I feel like it hit me in waves, it didn’t really feel real, mainly just unsettling, watching my school turn into something you hear about on the news,” Rains stated. “Most of the classmates were just making sure their friends are safe and okay. We haven’t had school since it happened, the school district is coming up with a plan for the next step. My  teachers have been emailing us making sure we are okay.”

As shootings have increased across the United States, some of which  are  on  school  campuses, USD students worry for their personal safety. James Miyashiro, Associate Vice President and chief of the Department of Public Safety (DPS) at USD, explained how campus safety is conducted and its importance to DPS.

“The safety and security of our community is our top priority,” Miyashiro stated. “USD  has  invested in a layered approach to campus safety that balances accessibility with robust protections … Our DPS officers are on duty 24/7, trained to respond quickly and effectively to a wide range of  emergencies. We work in close coordination with local law enforcement and first responders, ensuring a comprehensive safety net for our campus community.”

As  words   have been flying around campus about safety concerns, some have made it to the DPS. Miyashiro responded to students talking about campus safety.

“We want students to know that their voices are heard, and we encourage ongoing dialogue about campus safety,” Miyashiro said. “USD Public Safety is committed to continually strengthening our safety measures while fostering an environment  of   openness   and  trust.”

As the news about the recent gun violence continues to spread and settle across the United States, USD students and staff will continue to assess its impact on their everyday lives.

Charlie Kirk was shot on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. Photo courtesy of @mariyamaguchi/X