OREM, Utah — On Sept. 10, 2025, at 12:10 p.m. on the Utah Valley University campus, Charlie Kirk, a prominent figure in right-wing media, was shot and killed. Kirk had been an active part of conservative culture since 2012, when he co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative organization dedicated to educating people about the values of the Republican Party. Later, he made his presence known on social media by presenting himself as a passionate supporter of Donald Trump. Seeking to make a bigger name for himself, Kirk appeared on various podcasts, political news networks and debates.

Kirk is widely known for his “Prove Me Wrong” debates, where he would invite college students to debate him about politics and values. These debates gave him increased popularity and attention throughout the past three years. Many believed that he tried his hardest to humiliate young students with his formulaic responses he had learned throughout his many years as a debater. This had earned him large amounts of hate from people of all sides of the political spectrum, mainly for his large pull with the young conservative crowd. 

Kirk announced his “American Comeback Tour” back in February of 2025, which had 15 scheduled stops, starting with UVU. At 12 p.m., Kirk started his debate, and a few minutes after, a student prompted a question relating to gun violence. He began his response when a shot was fired, hitting him in the left side of his neck. Kirk later died at a local hospital.

With this stop being the first of his tour, Kirk’s wife and two children were in attendance; they witnessed this event.

No matter your political stance, the assassination of Charlie Kirk is devastating. This act of violence should not be celebrated. The recent increase in gun violence can no longer be ignored. News of mass shootings and political violence should not be normalized in the media.

On the same day of Kirk’s assassination, three students were wounded at Evergreen High School in Colorado. On Aug. 27, 17 students were injured and two were killed at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, both students being under the age of 11.

Kirk was an advocate for the protection of Americans’ Second Amendment rights. This topic is a huge part of his political persona; gun rights were something Kirk was adamant about protecting, and the topic was brought up repeatedly in his debates. With this, and his other far-right views, he became one of the most controversial political figures in Gen Z culture, making him a direct target for media hate, as far as being parodied on the television show “South Park.” After the shooting, the episode was removed from cable streaming.

The irony of this situation should not be lost on anybody. Kirk was a father, a husband and a son, but he stood up and advocated for gun ownership, the same thing that took his life. It’s a grim notion, but it is unfortunately true.

The biggest thing to remember about this whole situation is that, whether you believe in what he stood for or not, Kirk was a human being. Violence is never acceptable; his children should not be without their father, his wife should not be without her husband, and his parents should not be without their son.