The top 10 Crime and Justice Stories of the Year - #6 THE UTAH ASSASSINATION - CHARLIE KIRK AND THE SHOT THAT SHOOK AMERICA

0:03 Caalarogu Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Reed Carter. Thursday, December eighteenth, twenty twenty five. Yesterday we talked about Luigi Mangione, the CEO killer who became a folk hero. The assassination that millions celebrated, merchandise defense funds, Free Luigi hashtags today. The other assassination, the one that became a rallying cry instead of a celebration, The killing that intensified political divisions instead of transcending them. September tenth, twenty twenty five, Utah Valley University in aorum, Utah outdoor courtyards surrounded by tall buildings, first stop on Turning Point, USA's American Comeback Tour. Three thousand people waiting in the sunshine, students, supporters, curious onlookers.

0:57 Security guards positioned near the stage but not on the rooftops. No drones monitoring the buildings, no metal detectors at the entrances. Just a normal campus day in what locals call Happy Valley. Twelve oh nine pm, Mountain time. Charlie Kirk appears, throws hats into the crowd, takes his position under the tent, ready to debate students about politics. Free speech. Whatever they want to argue about. That's what he does. That's what made him famous. Twelve twenty three PM, A student asks about mass shootings, gun violence, transgender people. Kirk starts to answer. Bang. Single shot from one hundred forty two yards away bolt action rifle fired from a rooftop hit Kirk in the neck.

1:43 He collapsed, Security swarmed, students scattered, chaos in the courtyard. Charlie Kirk, thirty one years old, founder of Turning Point USA, co founder of the Conservative Youth Movement, Donald Trump's closest young ally, father of two, husband to Erica, pronounced dead at Timpanogos Regional Hospital the next day. Tyler Robinson, twenty two years old, surrendered to police in southwest Utah. His parents had recognized him from surveillance footage and convinced him to turn himself in. In his pocket text messages to his trans partner, confessing everything. I had enough of his hatred.

2:25 Some hate can't be negotiated out. Two political assassinations in less than a year. One killer celebrated, one killer condemned, one victim mourned by millions, one victim whose death prompted merchandise sales Welcome to America. In twenty twenty five, I'm reed, Carter. This is celebrity Trials today, number six on our countdown of the top crime and justice stories of the year. Charlie Kirk, the Utah assassination, and the trial that will ask whether killing someone for their speech is terrorism. Let's begin Before we talk about the shooting, Let's talk about who Charlie Kirk was. Charles James Kirk born October fourteenth, nineteen ninety three in Arlington Heights, Illinois, middle class Christian family in the Chicago suburbs, raised on conservative politics and evangelical Christianity. Unlike most political commentators, Kirk never went to college.

3:26 Got accepted to West Point, but his spot was given to the child of a congressman, or so the story goes. Either way, Kirk decided formal education wasn't for him. Instead, at eighteen years old, in twenty twelve, he co founded Turning Point USA with Bill Montgomery. The idea was simple, build a conservative youth movement. Go to college campuses, challenge progressive students to debate, create content, build an audience, change the culture. By twenty twenty five, Turning Point u S USA had become one of the most influential conservative organizations in America, chapters on over three thousand, five hundred college and high school campuses, millions of followers across social media, annual conferences drawing thousands of attendees, major Republican politicians speaking at their events. Kirk himself became one of the most recognized conservative voices in the country. Hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, one of the most listened to conservative podcasts, wrote multiple books, appeared on Fox News, regularly spoke at the Republican National Convention, and he was only thirty one years old, America's youngest conservative kingmaker. His political positions were exactly what you'd expect from someone in his lane, pro Trump, anti immigration, anti abortion, pro Israel, and notably consistently critical of transgender rights, gender affirming care, and what he called gender ideology. That last

4:57 one matters for understanding what happened. Kirk wasn't subtle about his views on transgender issues, called gender affirming surgery, child mutilation, opposed transgender athletes competing in women's sports, mocked pronouns, platformed speakers who shared those views. His critics called him a transphobe. His supporters called him a defender of biological reality. Either way, his position was clear and consistent. In twenty twenty one, Kirk married Erica Frantsvi, former Miss Arizona, USA, faith based entrepreneur podcaster. They had two children together, a daughter born in August twenty twenty two a son born in May twenty twenty four. The family lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a four point seventy five million dollar estate. Kirk had a real estate portfolio worth millions. His organization paid him handsomely.

5:50 By any measure, he was successful, but he was also polarizing. The Anti Defamation League accused Turning Point of providing a vast platform for extremists. Jewish groups were split on whether his pro Israel stance outweighed his willingness to platform anti Semitic figures. Progressive groups saw him as dangerous, Conservative groups saw him as essential. Here's the thing about Charlie Kirk. You didn't have to agree with him to recognize what he represented. He was effective, He built something real. He mobilized young conservatives in a way nobody else had. He helped Trump win the youth vote in twenty twenty four, and he genuinely seemed to believe what he preached. Whether you think his beliefs were righteous or repugnant, they weren't an act. September tenth, twenty twenty five, Kirk arrived at Utah Valley University for the first stop of the Fall American Comeback Tour. His wife, Riko wasn't with him, she was in Arizona with her hospitalized mother. Kirk was there with his security team, ready to do what he did best, debate students under a tent. The format was simple. Students line up, ask questions. Kirk responds, sometimes grees, usually disagrees, always creates content. That's the turning point. Model three thousand people showed up. The courtyard was packed. The weather was perfect, clear and sunny, perfect weather for a sniper. The question that came at twelve twenty three pm was about mass shootings and gun violence and transgender people. The student was

7:21 asking about trans mass shooters whether there was a connection. Kirk started to answer, got about halfway through a sentence, then the bullet hit from one hundred and forty two yards away the rooftop of the Lozy Center building. A Mauser Model ninety eight bolt action rifle with a scope thirty oh six caliber, one shot center of the neck. Kirk collapsed. Security surrounded him, called for help, rushed him to the hospital, but there was nothing to be done. Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead later that afternoon. He was thirty one years old, left behind a wife, a three year old daughter, and a one year old son. Whatever you think of his politics, whatever you think of his positions, whatever you think of his rhetoric, he was a husband, a father, a human being shot in the neck while answering a question about mass shootings. The irony rights itself, but it's not funny. The manhunt lasted thirty three hours.

8:25 FBI released surveillance footage of the shooter jumping off the rooftop after firing, running across campus disappearing. They found the rifle in a wooded area near the university, wrapped in a dark towel, bolt action scope a gift from the shooter's grandfather. DNA on the trigger matched Tyler James Robinson, twenty two years old from Washington, Utah, about two hundred and forty miles southwest of the university. Robinson's family are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. His grandmother said most of the family are Republicans, she didn't know a single Democrat. Robinson grew up shooting guns.

9:05 Family photos showed trips to ranges and weapons displays. He graduated from Pineview High School in May twenty twenty one. Attended Dixie State University and later Utah State University, but dropped out and then something changed. According to his mother, Robinson had become more political in the past year, more pro gay and trans rights oriented, different from the rest of his conservative family. He'd also started dating his roommate, a person described in court documents as a biological male who was transitioning genders. They lived together in Saint George, Utah. Robinson wasn't registered with any political party, never voted. There's no evidence of his positions on immigration or labor or anything else typically associated with the left. Just one issue, transgender rights. Here's what investigators found. Before the shooting, Robinson had texted his partner about Kirk's upcoming visit to Utah Valley University, called it a stupid venue, accused Kirk of spreading hate. Robinson arrived on campus at eight twenty nine am, drove a gray dodge. Challenger wore a maroon T shirt, light shorts, black hat, changed into dark clothing on campus.

10:22 Surveillance cameras caught him moving through stairwells up to a roof, across the roof to a shooting position at twelve twenty three pm. He fired the shot, then he jumped off the building, ran, hid the rifle in the woods, changed clothes again, disappeared. While the man hunt was underway, Robinson texted his partner, I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I'm going to take it. His partner asked if he was the shooter. I am. I'm sorry why. I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can't be negotiated out. Robinson told his partner to delete the messages. The partner didn't. Meanwhile, Robinson's parents were watching the news, saw the surveillance footage recognized their son. When they finally reached him, Robinson implied he wanted to kill himself. His parents convinced him to come home. Once there, Robinson admitted he was the shooter, said he couldn't go to jail, just wanted to end it. A family friend, a retired sheriff's deputy convinced Robinson to surrender peacefully. The next evening, Robinson and his parents drove to the Washington County Sheriff's office.

11:35 He turned himself in. FBI Director Cash Patel announced the arrest within thirty three hours of the shooting. Here's the psychological picture that emerges. A young man from a conservative Mormon family, dropped out of college, started dating a trans person, drifted away from his family's politics, became consumed by one issue. Decided that Charlie Kirk's anti trans rhetoric was hatred that couldn't be negotiated out, so he shot him. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Robinson appeared to have become radicalized after dropping out of college, may have been influenced by aspects of internet culture. Had attended a family dinner where he expressed dislike of Kirk and discussed his upcoming visit to UVU.

12:18 The bullet casings found at the scene were inscribed with messages one read hey fascist catch, followed by video game symbols references to internet culture memes the language of online radicalization. NPR spoke to researchers who study political violence. They said the inscriptions were performative, Robinson was thinking about how he'd be situated within the universe of mass shooters and high profile killers. After the shooting, Robinson reportedly joked in discord chats that his doppelganger had committed the crime, said he'd better also get rid of this manifesto. This wasn't spontaneous rage.

13:00 This was planned, premeditated, calculated, and now Tyler Robinson faces the death penalty. September sixteenth, twenty twenty five, Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Gray announced charges aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice for hiding the rifle and discarding his clothing, two counts of witness tampering for instructing his partner to delete texts and stay silent, one count of committing a violent offense in front of children. The suspect targeted Charlie Kirk based on his political expression. Gray said, if convicted, Robinson faces death by lethal injection.

13:44 Last week, December eleventh, Robinson made his first in person court appearance provo courthouse. Heavy security streets blocked off nine deputies in the courtroom. He walked in calmly blue button up shirt, pink tie, handcuffed, smiled at his family in the front row. His mother wiped tears from her eyes. The hearing focused on media access. Defense wants camera's band. Prosecution doesn't oppose media presence. Judge hasn't ruled yet. Preliminary hearings set for May eighteenth, twenty twenty six, three days of testimony. The question isn't really whether Robinson killed Charlie Kirk. The text messages, the DNA, the surveillance footage, The evidence is overwhelming. The question is whether this was terrorism, Whether political assassination deserves the ultimate punishment, Whether killing someone for their speech is fundamentally different from killing them for any other reason. Tyler Robinson was twenty two years old when he pulled the trigger. He had no criminal record, no history of violence, just a grievance about transgender rights and a grandfather's rifle. Now he sits in Utah County jail, waiting to find out if the state will execute him.

14:55 We'll be right back with the aftermath. The memorial that drew one hundred thousand and people, the widow who publicly forgave the killer, the Justice Department debating whether to charge Robinson with an anti Christian hate crime, and the comparison nobody wants to make. Why did America mourn Charlie Kirk but celebrate the death of Brian Thompson. Within hours of Kirk's death, the political machinery activated. President Trump called it a dark moment for America, blamed the radical left, posted on truth social calling for prayers, then called for a crackdown on leftist groups he claimed were responsible. Vice President J. D.

15:42 Vance flew to Utah, retrieved Kirk's body, flew it to Arizona on Air Force two with Kirk's widow and friends. The Vice President and Charlie Kirk had been close. Kirk had encouraged Vance to run for Senate. Every living former president issued statements. Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden all condemned the violence. International leaders did the same, But underneath the official condolences, something uglier was happening. Within hours of Kirk's death, Some people on social media celebrated, called Kirk a fascist, said he got what he deserved, made jokes, created memes. The backlash was swift and brutal. Within a week, over one hundred people, lawyers, doctors, first responders, more than fifty teachers and professors had been censured, suspended, dismissed, or were under investigation for comments about Kirk's death. Jimmy Kimmel's show was suspended after pressure from the administration. The comedian had made remarks about the conservative reaction to Kirk's death. It became a cultural flashpoint. Free speech advocates on both sides were horrified, either by the crackdown on criticism of Kirk or by the callousness of celebrating his death. Nobody was happy. The conspiracy theories exploded immediately because Robinson's partner was trans Some conservatives claimed it was a trans terror cell, claimed Antifa was involved, claimed leftist groups had coordinated the assassination. Investigators

17:13 found no evidence of any group involvement. Robinson appears to have acted alone. On the other side, some progressives claimed the text messages were fabricated, that the confession was too convenient, that something didn't add up. Yale law professor Stephen Duke called those claims ridiculous. Prosecutors don't fabricate evidence in high profile cases where every document will be scrutinized by defense attorneys, media, and the public. Erica Kirk begged for transparency. There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered, she told Fox News. There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move. We deserve to have cameras in there.

17:54 She's right, whatever happened hiding a breed's conspiracy, the court should be open, the evidence should be public. Let people see for themselves. September twenty first, two thousand, twenty five Memorial Service State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Nearly one hundred thousand people attended full capacity. President Trump spoke, Vice President Vance spoke, Tucker Carlson spoke, dozens of conservative figures took the stage, and then Erica Kirk spoke. She described the moment she learned her husband was shot. She was in Arizona with her hospitalized mother. By the time she arrived in Utah, Charlie was dead. She told authorities, with all due respect, I want to see what they did to my husband, kissed him goodbye, said he looked like he died happy, with a mona Lisa like half smile.

18:47 Then she announced she would take over Turning Point USA continue his work keep the movement alive. If you thought my husband's mission was powerful before, you have no idea, she said, you have no idea. The fire you've ignited within this wife. The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. And then she did something nobody expected. She forgave Tyler Robinson, that young man, I forgive him, she said, holding back tears. The crowd leaped to their feet, standing ovation. The answer to hate is not hate. October fourteenth, twenty twenty five, what would have been Charlie Kirk's thirty second birthday, President Trump posthumously awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Erica accepted on his behalf. During her remarks, she shared what their three year old daughter wanted to say to Daddy on his birthday.

19:44 Happy birthday, Daddy. I want to give you a stuffed animal. I want you to eat a cupcake with ice cream, and I want you to go have a birthday surprise. I love you. How do you explain death to a three year old? Erica told her baby, Daddy loves you so much, don't you worry. He's on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your Blueberry budget. Eight days after Kirk's death, Turning Point USA's board unanimously elected Erica as CEO and board chair. Charlie had told multiple executives that's what he wanted if anything ever happened to him. The organization didn't miss a beat. The American Comeback Tour continued, America Fest happened in December as scheduled, the podcast kept going.

20:26 Whatever you think of Turning Points politics, you have to acknowledge they were prepared. Charlie Kirk built something designed to survive even his death, and now the Justice Department is debating whether to bring federal charges. According to NBC News, prosecutors are weighing whether to charge Robinson with an anti Christian hate crime. The theory Kirk's anti transviews were rooted in his Christian faith. Robinson killed Kirk because of those views. Therefore, it was an attack on Christianity. Career prosecutors are skeptical. They argue the crime doesn't fit any federal statute. Kirk wasn't a federal official, Robinson didn't cross state lines. The hate crime angle is novel. Typically, those charges protect minorities and marginalized groups, not majority religions. But the political pressure is intense. Some conservatives want federal charges to make a statement about political violence against their side. The irony is obvious.

21:24 When Luigi Mangioni shot Brian Thompson, conservatives wanted federal terrorism charges. When Tyler Robinson shot Charlie Kirk, progressive suddenly discovered concerns about over criminalization. Nobody's consistent, everyone's a hypocrite. Welcome to American justice. Here's the question nobody wants to answer, honestly, Why did America react so differently to these two assassinations. December twenty twenty four, Luigi Mangione shoots Brian Thompson. Within days, He's a folk hero, one point three million dollar defense fund, merchandise, murals, women posting thirst tweets about him, fellow inmates chanting free Luigi.

22:09 September twenty twenty five, Tyler Robinson shoots Charlie Kirk. Immediate condemnation from all sides. Nobody selling Tyler Robinson t shirts, nobody posting about how cute he looks in his mugshot. What's the difference? Both were premeditated assassinations. Both killers chose their targets based on ideology. Both left messages explaining their reasoning. Both face the death penalty. The obvious answer is that people agreed with Mangioni's grievances and disagreed with Robinson's. Healthcare is unpopular, Transgender activism is divisive. Killing a healthcare ceo scratched an itch. Millions of Americans share, killing a conservative commentator didn't. But that's too simple. There's another difference who the victims were. Brian Thompson was anonymous. Most Americans had never heard of him before he died. He represented an industry people hate. He was a symbol, not a person.

23:05 Charlie Kirk was famous, Millions knew him, had opinions about him. He was a person first, a symbol second. It's easier to celebrate the death of a stranger who represents something you hate than the death of someone you actually know. And there's the reaction to consider. When Mangione was arrested, some progressives celebrated, openly, made jokes, bought merchandise. The cultural moment was gleeful. When people celebrated Kirk's death, the crackdown was immediate. Jobs lost, investigations opened, shows canceled. The cultural moment was punitive. Both reactions reveal something ugly about us. We pick and choose which political violence to condemn based on whether we agree with the victim's politics. We apply different standards to different killings based on tribal loyalty. Murder is murder, Assassination is assassination. Killing someone for their political views is terrorism, regardless of what those views are. Charlie Kirk and I disagreed on almost everything. His positions on immigration, abortion, transgender issues. I found most of them wrong. But that doesn't matter. He was a thirty one year old father of two who was shot in the neck while answering a question. He deserved to live. His children deserved to grow up with their father. Brian Thompson and I had no relationship. I knew nothing about him before December twenty twenty four. But he was a fifty year old father of two who was shot in the back while walking to work. He deserved to live, His children deserved to

24:36 grow up with their father. The killers in both cases made the same fundamental error. They decided that violence was an acceptable response to speech or policy they disagreed with. It's not, it never is, it never will be. Tyler Robinson is not a hero. Neither is Luigi Manjone. They're both accused murderers who took fathers from their children because they disagreed with how how those men live their lives. Make it make sense. That's Celebrity trials for Thursday, December eighteenth, twenty twenty five. Charlie Kirk number six on our countdown of the top crime and justice stories of the year.

25:17 September tenth, twenty twenty five. Utah Valley University Charlie Kirk shot and killed during a campus speaking event, single bullet from one hundred forty two yards away. Thirty one years old, father of two, husband, founder of Turning Point, USA. September eleventh, Tyler Robinson surrendered to police after his parents recognized him from surveillance footage. Twenty two years old. Trans partner text confession I had enough of his hatred. September sixteenth, Utah County charged Robinson with aggravated murder. Death penalty sought. September twenty first memorial service at State Farms Stadium nearly one hundred ndred thousand attendees. Erica Kirk publicly forgave the killer took over Turning Point, USA. October fourteenth, Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom December eleventh, Robinson's first in person court appearance. Preliminary hearing set for May twenty twenty six. December twenty twenty five. Justice Department weighing novel federal hate crime charges tomorrow, Number five on our countdown.

26:29 Mark Sanchez, the NFL legend stabbed five times over a parking space, the sixty nine year old truck driver who claimed self defense, the trial delayed to March twenty twenty six, And the question of what happens when a famous athlete picks a fight with the wrong man. Charlie Kirk was thirty one years old. Husband, father, human being, should be hosting his podcast right now, should be debating students on another college campus. Should be putting his kids to bed tonight. Rest in peace, Charlie. Some one has to say your name. I'm read Carter, see you tomorrow. This is celebrity trials.