A newly surfaced video has raised questions after it appeared to show a bearded man celebrating in the immediate aftermath of conservative activist Charlie Kirk ’s assassination at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
The clip, widely shared on social media and ripped from live TV feeds, shows a young man in a black T-shirt and backwards baseball cap pumping his fists in the air and shouting “USA! USA! USA!” just seconds after Kirk, 31, was fatally struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet during a campus debate.
While most spectators dropped to the ground in panic, the man remained standing, briefly looking back in the direction of the gunfire before raising his arms. His reaction mirrored chants often heard at Trump rallies, including the president’s own cry after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last year.
Social media users quickly seized on the footage, calling it disturbing and “psychotic.” “This guy happens to know where the shooter was and is looking back, cheering him on after the lifeless body of Charlie Kirk has fallen to the ground,” one X user wrote. Another added: “I have no words left.”
The Utah County sheriff’s department confirmed it had been contacted about the video.
The man’s identity remains unverified, though an X account later claimed to be the individual seen in the clip. In a post, the user — identifying himself only as David — denied celebrating Kirk’s killing and insisted his actions were intended to “draw attention so the security team could escape.”
“There is [a lot] of rage directed at me but I promise you’ll understand when I speak,” he wrote. “Some are upset because I smile, some because I [cheer] and others because they don’t have the information yet.”
The account follows several prominent conservative figures, including psychologist Jordan Peterson. Authorities have not confirmed whether the account belongs to the man in the video.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent ally of President Donald Trump , was a father of two. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the shooting.
The clip, widely shared on social media and ripped from live TV feeds, shows a young man in a black T-shirt and backwards baseball cap pumping his fists in the air and shouting “USA! USA! USA!” just seconds after Kirk, 31, was fatally struck in the neck by a sniper’s bullet during a campus debate.
While most spectators dropped to the ground in panic, the man remained standing, briefly looking back in the direction of the gunfire before raising his arms. His reaction mirrored chants often heard at Trump rallies, including the president’s own cry after he narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last year.
Social media users quickly seized on the footage, calling it disturbing and “psychotic.” “This guy happens to know where the shooter was and is looking back, cheering him on after the lifeless body of Charlie Kirk has fallen to the ground,” one X user wrote. Another added: “I have no words left.”
The Utah County sheriff’s department confirmed it had been contacted about the video.
The man’s identity remains unverified, though an X account later claimed to be the individual seen in the clip. In a post, the user — identifying himself only as David — denied celebrating Kirk’s killing and insisted his actions were intended to “draw attention so the security team could escape.”
“There is [a lot] of rage directed at me but I promise you’ll understand when I speak,” he wrote. “Some are upset because I smile, some because I [cheer] and others because they don’t have the information yet.”
The account follows several prominent conservative figures, including psychologist Jordan Peterson. Authorities have not confirmed whether the account belongs to the man in the video.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent ally of President Donald Trump , was a father of two. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the shooting.
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