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By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
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A social media post made by Stephen King about Charlie Kirk's shooting has sparked a backlash.
Bestselling author King triggered outrage after he called the death of Kirk, 31, who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday during a question-and-answer session on campus "another example of American gun violence."
The Context
The 31-year-old was a conservative influencer and President Donald Trump ally. He was also the founder and executive director of Turning Point USA and frequently visited university campuses to deliver talks.
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The motivation of the shooter is not known but Kirk's death has reignited concerns of deepening political polarization and violence in the U.S. It has also caused some to make points about gun control and whether stricter policies regarding firearms would have prevented Kirk's death.
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What To Know
On X, King wrote: "The motivation of the man who shot Charlie Kirk isn't clear (although he's probably mentally unstable--duh). What is clear is it was another example of American gun violence."
In response, X users rushed to criticize King.
Max Abrahms, an international security professor wrote: "So predictable, every single time, skip the ideology, blame the weapon and mental illness when the right is targeted."
"For someone that writes so many good stories you don't seem to know how to read the room," said one X user.
Another wrote: "What a vile and horrific take."
It comes after King received a similar backlash when he brought up the Republican Party's stance on guns in response to a gunman opening fire on a Trump rally near Butler, in Pennsylvania, in July 2024.
Alluding to the weapon used in the incident, King posted: "An AR-15 style semiautomatic rifle was used in the Butler shooting. These are the guns the Republican Party—and Trump—want to protect."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump wrote in a Truth Social post: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in an emailed statement to Newsweek on Wednesday: "Today, in yet another horrific act of targeted political violence, Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood on a school campus. Though we're still awaiting further details, in all likelihood, he was murdered for expressing his beliefs. I am praying for his family, his friends, and his loved ones."
What Happens Next
The search to find the person who shot Kirk is ongoing. Two people who were arrested have since been released.
Kirk is survived by his wife and two children.
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