Charlie Kirk (AP photo)
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” – Those were the last words of conservative activist and Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk before he was shot dead on Wednesday during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University.Kirk, 31, had been speaking and taking questions about the long-running culture of mass shooting and gun violence in America when the attack took place.
Video from the event showed Kirk sitting under a white tent, holding a microphone and answering questions.An audience member asked, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk replied, “Too many.” The questioner then asked, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kirk answered, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Seconds later, a single shot rang out.Disturbing footage showed Kirk clutching his neck as blood poured from his wound while shocked students screamed and ran. He later died from his injuries.Thousands had turned out for his appearance, and police were already present on campus. At the time of the shooting, Kirk was speaking to the crowd in a low area surrounded by campus buildings.President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social, calling him “the Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk.” Trump added, “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.” Speaking later to the New York Post, Trump called him “a very, very good friend of mine and a tremendous person.” Melania Trump also sent condolences to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and their two young children. Later, in a four-minute video posted on Truth Social, Trump called the killing “an assassination” and remembered Kirk as “a patriot who devoted his life to open debate and the country he loved so much.” He added, “I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”Kirk had become one of the most influential MAGA voices in recent years. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, volunteering for political campaigns while still in high school and even organizing to overturn a cafeteria price hike. He enrolled at Harper College but later dropped out to devote himself full-time to political activism.Kirk’s final words — “Counting or not counting gang violence?” — have since spread widely online, underscoring the grim irony of his death during a discussion about gun violence.
