by Ava Morizio

Charlie Kirk was an American conservative activist and political commentator. He was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and shared two children with wife Erika Kirk.  Mr. Kirk was best known as the founder and president of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization that focuses on promoting/debating conservative values on high school and college campuses across the United States. He promoted conservative values such as free-market capitalism, limited government intervention, and traditional social values, such as patriotism, and American exceptionalism.  Mr. Kirk opposed progressive movements related to race, gender, and social justice, arguing they can be divisive. 

Mr. Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler James Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, is the suspect charged with killing Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk was 31 years old.  Kirk was addressing an audience of approximately 3,000 people when he was struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet fired from a rooftop about 140 yards away. His final words, spoken just before the shooting, were in response to a question about mass shootings in America: “Counting or not counting gang violence?” He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital but was pronounced dead later that afternoon. 

Charlie Kirk gained national attention on social media and his views stirred great controversy. Throughout his career, many Americans disagreed with Kirk’s views. I believe that even if you did not agree with Mr. Kirk’s values, this was a tragedy for his family and for the people who followed him. People may have hated him or loved him, but no matter what political party you stand with, Mr. Kirk was doing what he loved and had the right to voice his opinions. I think Mr. Kirk’s story is an important one. In today’s divided American society, we need to remember that people should be able to debate each other with without the threat of politically motivated violence.  We, as a country, need to agree to disagree.