By Nils Adler, Ali Harb and Joseph Stepansky
- “I think we have him” – US President Donald Trump says a suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been taken into custody.
- Utah Governor Spencer Cox identifies the suspect in custody as Tyler Robinson, 22.
Motives of suspected shooter remain unclear
Utah Governor Cox described the shooting of Kirk earlier as political assassination, pointing to messages engraved on bullet casings, including one that says, “Hey fascist! Catch!”.
But it later emerged that some of the engravings relate to apolitical video game culture. And while the anti-fascist message may point to left-wing leanings, another engraving – “If you read this, you are gay, LMAO” – has homophobic undertones.
There is little public information about the ideology of the suspected shooter.
So for now, the motives behind the shooting remain opaque. Tyler Robinson did not release a manifesto, and authorities have declined to discuss what he has told investigators so far.
Scholars targeted by Turning Point warn against portraying Kirk as free speech ‘martyr’
The US President and top Republican officials have portrayed Kirk as a champion of free speech, with Trump describing him as a “martyr of truth”.
But scholars who have been targeted by Kirk and his group, Turning Point USA, have warned that the portrayal may fuel further division. Many have pointed to Turning Point USA’s “Professor Watchlist”, which, by its own account, aims to “expose and document college professors who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom”.
Critics say Kirk had used the platform to seek to silence viewpoints he did not agree with, resulting in, at times, harassment of the professors identified.
Speaking to WBUR, a Boston-based public radio station, Matthew Boedy, a professor targeted by the watchlist, said labeling Kirk a martyr for his speech or for his Christian viewpoints could set a dangerous precedent.
“Many people are labeling Charlie Kirk a martyr, not just for free speech, but for his Christianity, and I think that will drive even more division, perhaps even more violence.”
Nasdaq fires employee over social media posts on Kirk killing
The company has said it fired an employee over comments made on social media about Kirk’s killing.
“Nasdaq has a zero-tolerance policy toward violence and any commentary that condones or celebrates violence,” the company said in a post on X. It did not specify the content of the social media post.
A source at the company told Reuters news agency the employee worked as a junior-level sustainability strategist.
Several Republican officials have called for those celebrating Kirk’s killing to be penalised by their employers. Some Republican congressman have even been publicly sharing information on individuals they claim have done so.
