University of Kwazulu-Natal

Who Really Fired The Shot That Killed Charlie Kirk Two Technical Clues

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
who really fired the shot that killed charlie kirk two technical clues

September 17, 2025 By Steven Ben-Nun 9 Comments Who Really Fired the Shot That Killed Charlie Kirk? Two Technical Clues That Demand Answers By Steven Ben-Nun / IsraeliNewsLive Updated: September 17, 2025 On the morning Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University, dozens of cell phones recorded the event from multiple vantage points. From those same recordings we identified two independent, technical clues that point to important — and underreported — questions about how the attack was carried out: 1) a laser/infrared reflection visible on a security...

Below we present the evidence, our analysis methods, relevant context reported by mainstream outlets, and why these findings should be part of any complete public investigation. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, United States. The outdoor event was the first stop of the Fall 2025 season for the American Comeback Tour, a speaking and debate series planned by Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization that he co-founded. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while engaging with an audience member about mass shootings in the United States by a sniper on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards (130 m)... The next day, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson surrendered himself to the local sheriff. Prosecutors charged Robinson with murder on September 16 and announced they would seek the death penalty, alleging the attack was politically motivated.[2][3][4]

The assassination was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan comments and celebrations of his death.[5][6][7] President Donald Trump,... The Trump administration called for a crackdown against what it called "political extremism" on the left,[10][11][12][13] which was widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts as using the assassination as a pretext... Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA.[17][18] A close ally of US president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his... Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at Utah Valley University, authorities said. Frightened students and others at Utah Valley University raced for shelter after a gunman fired a fatal shot at conservative youth activist Charlie Kirk during an outdoor speaking event at the school Wednesday.

People were seen running, as screams rang out of the Sorensen Center courtyard where the youth organization Turning Point USA was holding the event. Law enforcement had cleared the area that included the white tent where Kirk was sitting when he was shot. People attend a vigil at Timpanogos Regional Hospital for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett) CORRECTS PHOTOGRAPHER LAST NAME FROM CROEWLEY TO CROWLEY - Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at Utah...

10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP) High-profile assassinations and attempts have rarely been one-shot affairs. Most attackers unleash multiple rounds in quick succession – whether out of panic, determination to ensure the kill, or lack of confidence in a single bullet. For example, Lee Harvey Oswald (maybe) fired three shots from the Texas School Book Depository at President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, emptied an eight-shot revolver at point-blank range, hitting RFK three times and wounding five bystanders. John Hinckley Jr. likewise rapid-fired six shots in 1.7 seconds during his 1981 attempt on President Reagan. Even the recent Shinzo Abe assassination in 2022 involved two shotgun blasts – the homemade weapon’s first shot missed and the second proved fatal. By contrast, a one-shot, one-kill scenario like the Charlie Kirk shooting is highly atypical, with few modern precedents outside of military-style sniper attacks.

A handful of historical assassinations do fit the “one shot, one kill” mold, but they are exceptions that prove the rule. Abraham Lincoln’s murder in 1865 was accomplished with a single pistol shot to the head at point-blank range (a very different tactical scenario). Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in 1968 is a closer analogy: James Earl Ray fired one rifle round from a boarding house window, striking King’s neck/jaw from roughly 200 feet away. That single .30-06 bullet was instantly mortal. Another example is the 2003 killing of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjić, who was fatally shot by a sniper from a distant building – a professionally executed hit. These cases show that one-shot kills do occur, but they are statistically rare in the realm of political violence.

Far more often, assassins fire multiple rounds or use multiple means (guns, bombs, etc.) to ensure their target is incapacitated. Historical Analysis of Shots Fired in Political Assassinations Indeed, the norm in both historical and contemporary attacks is for attackers – especially lone-wolf extremists – to fire repeatedly until they can no longer do so (either jammed, tackled, or out of ammo). In the chaotic 1968 RFK shooting, Sirhan kept “firing his gun in random directions” until subdued. In 1981, Hinckley’s six-shot barrage wounded not just Reagan but several others. More recently, mass-shooter style assassination attempts (e.g.

the 2011 shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords or the 2023 attempted attack on Argentina’s Vice President) have involved unloading entire magazines. Even the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally in July 2024 was a “deadly shooting” with multiple shots fired, not a single round. In that case, the sniper-positioned gunman struck a bystander fatally and grazed Mr. Trump amid several shots before fleeing. The Charlie Kirk case – a single rifle round from ~200 yards that struck the target’s neck and nothing else – is virtually unheard of in modern U.S.

political violence. Such precision and restraint (one shot, then immediate exfiltration) starkly deviate from the historical pattern of high-volume gunfire in assassination scenarios. Crucially, the one-shot kill profile is more commonly associated with trained professionals (military or paramilitary snipers, clandestine operatives, etc.) than with the typical lone extremist. Professional assassins or snipers are taught to make the first shot count – epitomized by the marksman’s adage “one shot, one kill.” By contrast, untrained attackers or emotionally charged ideologues often lack the cool... They tend to either fire multiple shots in rapid succession or continue shooting until stopped, as seen in almost all the historical examples above. Thus, Kirk’s assassination being carried out with a single, lethal round immediately invites comparisons to sniper-style tactics and raises questions about the Kirk shooter’s background and skill.

Officials on Friday arrested a suspect who they say shot and killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk, two days after the shocking scene at a Utah university. The suspect was identified as Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah. He was not a student at Utah Valley University, a school spokesperson said. Officials believe he acted alone. Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck from a rooftop Wednesday as he was at a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University in Orem, officials said, and he was later pronounced dead. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Kirk's, announced the news of Kirk's death in a post on Truth Social.

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump wrote Wednesday. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video With the funeral of US Conservative activist Charlie Kirk taking place today, the prime suspect in his assassination remains in custody after a manhunt lasting some 33 hours. Kirk, 31, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was killed by a single gunshot fired from a rooftop as he spoke onstage during an outdoor campus event attended by 3,000 people in...

Tyler James Robinson, 22, has been charged with offences including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice over the shooting. If convicted of killing Kirk, the charge means he could face the death penalty. Sky News' Data & Forensics team has tracked and mapped the events before, during and after the shooting to answer questions about the attack. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Chaos broke out at Utah Valley University when prominent right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot dead in front of thousands of people. Mr Kirk, 31, was speaking to students about mass shootings on Wednesday when he was shot in the neck, leading students to flee and a manhunt for the killer beginning.

Many questions remain, with differing accounts and multiple videos across social media. The face of Maga. A staunch ally of Donald Trump. Executive director of Turning Point USA. Conservative commentator. Top podcaster and culture warrior.

There are many ways to define Charlie Kirk, the famous right-wing activist and commentator. However, on Wednesday (September 10), one could add victim of gun violence to Kirk’s name after he was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, Utah in western America. The killing of Kirk prompted an outpouring of condolences from several famous names, including US President Donald Trump. “The great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” announced the US president on his social media, adding later, “Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in... Charlie is a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loves so much, the United States of America.” But how did the shooting that killed Kirk occur?

We try to piece together the chain of events that led to the killing and the aftermath of it. Charlie Kirk, an influential right-wing activist and a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at an event at a university in Utah. On Friday, President Trump said a suspect was in custody, telling Fox News: "I think we've got him." At a subsequent press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox named the suspect as Tyler Robinson. Kirk, 31, was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem on 10 September, 2025 as part of his "American Comeback" tour. He sat under a white gazebo to take questions from a crowd of about 3,000 in the university's "quad", an outdoor courtyard.

Reporting by Joseph Ax, Rich McKay and Julia Harte; Additional reporting by Brad Brooks and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Frank McGurty and Daniel Wallis Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab

People Also Search

September 17, 2025 By Steven Ben-Nun 9 Comments Who Really

September 17, 2025 By Steven Ben-Nun 9 Comments Who Really Fired the Shot That Killed Charlie Kirk? Two Technical Clues That Demand Answers By Steven Ben-Nun / IsraeliNewsLive Updated: September 17, 2025 On the morning Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University, dozens of cell phones recorded the event from multiple vantage points. From those same recordings w...

Below We Present The Evidence, Our Analysis Methods, Relevant Context

Below we present the evidence, our analysis methods, relevant context reported by mainstream outlets, and why these findings should be part of any complete public investigation. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, United States. The outdoor event wa...

The Assassination Was Highlighted As An Instance Of Increasing Political

The assassination was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan comments and celebrations of his death.[5][6][7] President Donald Tr...

People Were Seen Running, As Screams Rang Out Of The

People were seen running, as screams rang out of the Sorensen Center courtyard where the youth organization Turning Point USA was holding the event. Law enforcement had cleared the area that included the white tent where Kirk was sitting when he was shot. People attend a vigil at Timpanogos Regional Hospital for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, on ...

10, 2025, In Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News Via

10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP) High-profile assassinations and attempts have rarely been one-shot affairs. Most attackers unleash multiple rounds in quick succession – whether out of panic, determination to ensure the kill, or lack of confidence in a single bullet. For example, Lee Harvey Oswald (maybe) fired three shots from the Texas School Book Depository at Pre...