Graphic footage of Charlie Kirk’s shooting flooded social media, turning the activist’s death into a searing national moment and forcing young Americans to grapple with the public killing of a political leader barely older than themselves.
Charlie Kirk, 31, co-founder of the conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and a close ally of former President Donald Trump, was fatally shot from long range during a campus event in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. Trump announced Friday that authorities had taken a suspect into custody.
Young conservatives grieved the loss of a familiar voice who had been a steady presence on social media and television. Even some young liberals told Reuters on Thursday they were saddened to see Kirk fall victim to gun violence.
"Regardless of who he is and what his beliefs are, nobody should die like that and be assassinated. He does have First Amendment rights to free speech,” said Ama Baffour, a 20-year-old student at Howard University, a historically Black institution in Washington, D.C.
GEN Z AND LIVESTREAMING
Grief over Kirk’s death was far from universal. Some liberals on social media voiced scant sympathy, citing his outspoken support for gun rights and past inflammatory remarks about women and transgender people.
Still, Baffour said she was "heartbroken" by Kirk’s killing, despite disagreeing with his political views.
Americans in their 20s increasingly get their news from podcasts and livestreams rather than traditional television, said Tim Weninger, a University of Notre Dame professor who researches social media algorithms.
Trump praised Kirk for energizing young voters and voters of color during his successful 2024 campaign. Kirk amassed more than 5 million followers on X and hosted the widely popular podcast and radio program "The Charlie Kirk Show."
He also built a massive following on TikTok, a platform where about 39% of adults under 30 now regularly consume news, according to a Pew Research Center survey last year.
Kirk drew attention with short, unpolished videos of his debates with college students, a style that made him seem "very real" to his followers, Weninger said.
News of Kirk’s shooting spread more rapidly than in past events, fueled by videos captured from multiple angles and shared across video-centric platforms, said Josephine Lukito, a University of Texas at Austin professor specializing in political communication and social media.
Evander Thomas, 21, another Howard student who frequently watched Kirk on TikTok despite disagreeing with his politics, said he learned of Kirk’s death when a friend shared a video in a group chat. He said he saw it within 30 minutes of the shooting.
“No matter what your political views are, nobody should ever have to die for it,” Thomas said. “It’s not like these people are evil. Charlie Kirk didn’t do anything for him to lose his life.”
CAMPUS MEMORIALS
Manu Anpalagan, president of the Yale College Republicans, said he respected Kirk’s dedication to engaging in open debate with political opponents, even if he didn’t agree with all his views. Anpalagan co-authored an op-ed in the Yale Daily News alongside his Democratic counterpart condemning the shooting.
An October 2024 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that the vast majority of 18- to 29-year-olds rejected the notion that "it is acceptable for someone in my political party to commit violence to achieve a political goal," with just 6% expressing agreement.
Across college campuses nationwide, students paid tribute to the slain activist. At the University of Oklahoma, they created a memorial adorned with flowers and photos of Kirk. Meanwhile, the Turning Point USA chapter at Texas A&M University in College Station organized a vigil.
Josh Michael, a senior at Oklahoma State University, learned in class from messages in his fraternity group chat that Kirk had been shot. After confirming his death, he and his friends hung a sign reading "Pray 4 the Kirks" on their fraternity house.
"Everyone was just distraught," he said by phone.
YOUNG REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS UNITE
The incident also showed signs of uniting young partisans. Within hours of Kirk’s death, the Connecticut Young Republicans and Young Democrats of Connecticut released a joint statement condemning the shooting as "unacceptable."
Alan Cunningham, 25, president of the Young Democrats, described Kirk’s killing as a "volatile moment" for the nation. He immediately reached out to his Republican counterpart, who quickly agreed that they should speak with a unified voice.
"It's 100% fair to say that he was an incredibly impactful person for young people, young politicos especially, which is why I thought it was all the more important for us both to put our voices out there," Cunningham told Faqinsurances.
Patrick Burland, president of the Young Republicans, said Kirk served as a catalyst for many in Generation Z to engage with politics. “There are so many people I know that only became involved because they saw his conversations either online or on their campus,” he said.
Burland, 25, did not hesitate when his Democratic counterpart proposed issuing a joint statement.
“When they took a shot at Charlie, they’re almost taking a shot at the very idea of open debate and free expression,” he said. “This is something that no one on either side is going to stand for. I think what we’ll see is cooler heads prevail and a more positive message break through.”
Thomas, the Howard student, took a more pessimistic view, comparing the anger among conservatives over Kirk’s death to the outrage on the left following the 2020 killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
“I don’t think this will ever stop,” he said.
