Yesterday, Wednesday Sept. 10, at around noon, right wing activist and public speaker Charlie Kirk was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. During a Q&A with students on an outdoor pavilion, a gunshot rang out, hitting Kirk. Charlie recoiled and fell to the floor. Kirk’s security escorted him out of the event and took him to the Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead around three hours later.
Timpview senior Xiomara Banks was a firsthand witness of the incident, and was only a few yards away when Kirk was shot. “As I was waiting in line to talk to Kirk…I hear a bunch of shots being fired, like not just one shot but multiple shots. I see him…and he just falls back from his chair.” said Banks. Later sources confirmed that there was only one gunshot fired, however, the loud reverberation of the gun possibly explains why people up close heard multiple shots.
Following the incident, local security arrested multiple persons of interest, but all of them were later released. The FBI released images of a suspect in connection with the incident, stating, “We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.” The FBI is also offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of this person of interest.
Charlie Kirk is a conservative activist, nonprofit executive, and father of two. Kirk is known for hosting open-air debates on campuses across the US, where he debates political issues with college students and members of the crowd. Along with his career in political activism, he is also the chief executive officer and co-founder of Turning Point Action, a nonprofit organization that supports conservative youth in the U.S.
Political parties have already started to turn the incident into a polarizing political event. During a Congress meeting yesterday afternoon, word spread of the shooting, and a moment of silence for Kirk’s passing turned into an argument over what political party caused this horrific event.
According to Time magazine, Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert called for a silent moment of prayer for Kirk, when several Democratic Representatives began to boo. This prompted Anna Paulina Luna, a Republican Rep. from Florida to say, “You all caused this,” referring to the Democratic party. In response, another Democrat in the meeting yelled out, “Pass some gun laws!” This finger-pointing attitude was exhibited higher up on the political scale, with President Donald Trump’s statement about the rhetoric of “the radical left” holding responsibility for Charlie Kirk’s death.
While many Americans are using this incident as an opportunity to place blame on opposing political factions, the fact remains that an event like this is tragic, no matter your political stance. Contrasting sides of this country tend to politicize and exploit tragedies like this for their own gain. We, as humans, need to view Kirk not as a political figure, but as a human being who suffered a tragic fate. This should be a wake up call for Americans to come together as one rather than be divided into separate parties. The incident that occurred yesterday wasn’t the death of a Republican, or any other political party member for that matter. It was the death of an American, and more specifically, a human being.
