Live updates: Charlie Kirk shooter still at large after assassination at Utah university event
NBC1 day
Suspect Detained in Charlie Kirk Murder
Above: Utah Governor Spencer Cox speaks about the Charlie Kirk shooting Sept. 12, 2025 at Utah Valley University. Image copyright: Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
This case is a turning point for America, especially those on the left who believe violence is the answer and whose activities and causes are funded by a radical fringe, to do some soul searching. Kirk's assassination was an assault on free speech, civil discourse and the optimistic conservatism he championed through Turning Point USA. His shooter deserves whatever punishment is in store for him, while the left must search its soul to decide what type of country it wants to live in.
Democratic narrative
The shooter certainly deserves whatever punishment the justice system hands him. But blaming Kirk's murder solely on the left ignores the bipartisan surge of violence — from Unite the Right killings to the Capitol insurrection and attacks on Nancy Pelosi and Josh Shapiro. The MAGA movement's conspiracies on elections and immigrants have fueled the country's division, with their social media echo chambers amplifying hate that boomerangs back to American society. This demands bipartisan resolve against all extremism, not finger-pointing.
Narrative C
The assassination of Charlie Kirk reiterates the dire need for "slow journalism" in the face of the volatile and frenetic online environment that follows tragedies like this. Methodical investigative reporting can help to counterbalance the dangerous contagion of polarizing internet rumors that degrade political discourse and cause real-world mental health harms.