United States of America - September 2025

On 10 September, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University for his youth organization, Turning Point USA. A suspect (a 22-year-old man) surrendered and was arrested the following day and charged with several state crimes, including aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, firearms felonies, witness tampering and violence committed in the presence of a child. Several officials characterized or suggested the assassination was politically motivated, citing Kirk’s conservative activism and the accused’s political beliefs. Evidence against the accused includes texts in which he wrote that he ‘had enough of [Kirk’s] hatred’, and further texts, social media messages and conversations with family members in which he appeared to confess to the killing. The prosecutors’ charges against the accused do not cite a motive. 

Sources: AP News (1), AP News (2), PBS, The New York Times, BBC,