Charlie Kirk Shot at Event, Right-Wing Calls for Violence Erupt

Provo, Utah — Charlie Kirk, co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. The shooting has sparked intense backlash and calls for violence from far-right groups on social media.

Authorities confirmed that a “person of interest” was briefly in custody but later released, and no motive for the shooting has been announced. In the wake of the incident, right-wing influencers and some Republican officials wasted no time attributing blame to the left.

“This is a war, this is a war, this is a war,” claimed Alex Jones during a livestream on his Infowars channel. Former President Donald Trump also placed blame, stating in a social media post, “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in the country today.”

Stewart Rhodes, founder of the Oath Keepers militia group, announced plans to rebuild his organization to protect figures like Kirk. “If my security team had been at that event, they would have saved Charlie Kirk from being shot,” he said.

Ed Martin, former acting U.S. attorney for D.C., quoted scripture to advocate for vengeance against perceived enemies of the right. Elon Musk further fanned the flames on social media, calling the left “the party of murder” in a post that echoed accusations against liberal politicians.

More extreme responses came from various online groups, where members took to claiming a civil war was imminent and encouraged violent retribution. Echoing sentiments from Jones, users of the pro-Trump platform The Donald expressed a belief that the shooting represented a starting point for conflict.

“War is coming,” wrote one user. “Civil war is coming … this will give the left the blowback they’ve been begging for.”

Concerns are rising as political tensions, compounded by Kirk’s violent death, threaten to exacerbate the already volatile climate. Jeff Sharlet, an expert on extremism, expressed alarm over the rhetoric emanating from various factions of the right.

As this story unfolds, officials and experts continue to monitor potential threats stemming from the controversial reactions to Kirk’s death.