A man who was caught on camera appearing to ‘cheer’ in the crowd after Charlie Kirk was shot has broken his silence.
The man was seen in footage just moments after the political commentator was shot in the neck while on stage at Utah Valley University (UVU).
His appearance was part of his ‘American Comeback’ tour and he was addressing a 3,000-strong crowd when he was struck in the neck.
It was later confirmed that Kirk had died from his injuries sustained in the gunshot wound.
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A manhunt was conducted by the FBI and 33 hours later, 22 year old Tyler Robinson was arrested under suspicion of murder.
One man in the crowd during the attack drew attention on social media after it appeared that he was celebrating the shot.
Known only as David, the man took to X, formerly Twitter, to say: “At that point, I did not see what happened directly, my head was lowered while I listened. When I heard a sharp crack, at first I thought it might have been fireworks or a disruptive prank, so I looked up to the horizon for smoke. When none appeared, I realized it must have been a firearm.
“My friend reacted in horror saying Charlie had been struck, his voice and description told me how serious it was. Based on his reaction, I believed Charlie had been gravely injured. I instinctively checked the security team’s movement, though I have no affiliation with them.
“Realizing the situation was dangerous, I stood and shouted, ‘USA!’. Not as a provocation, but to project strength, encourage others and create a distraction that might help calm panic or even save lives.
“At that moment, no one knew whether this was a lone shooter or something coordinated. My friend was devastated, he admitted he admired Charlie deeply. I only knew Charlie through minimal content but would never wish to celebrate harm to anyone.
“Because of my background as a soldier, I was able to stay calm under stress, focus on protecting and comforting my friend, afterward I called my wife to let her know I was safe.”
Robinson made his first appearance in court yesterday (September 16), where he appeared virtually from Utah County Jail, which is where he is currently being held.
During the hearing, prosecutors shared that they will be seeking the death penalty in this case.
Kirk’s funeral is set to go ahead this Sunday (September 21) in Arizona, with President Donald Trump expected to attend.