ululate!

done too soon

We interrupt this moratorium on political news to announce that—unless this is some sort of massive prank—conservative thinker, writer, and activist Charlie Kirk has been shot and killed. This happened while I was sleeping, and it seems to be breaking news. I was never a close follower of Kirk and his various exploits (he founded Turning Point USA), but you don't have to go far on YouTube to find videos of Kirk engaging in endless debates with angry campus leftists to understand that he might end up in the crosshairs of a particularly loving and tolerant leftist. Kirk wasn't "on my bingo card," as they say, for death by assassination in 2025, but his death also isn't surprising. News is still coming out; as of right this moment, it appears the shooter is still at large (update: caught now, I think). Kirk knew the risk he was taking by giving the left a focus for its rage. It seems the right has lost one of its leading lights. The left, unable to assassinate Trump, must have concluded that Kirk would do in Trump’s place. Kirk was only 31. RIP and sympathies to Kirk's family.

ADDENDUM: I can say that, if the left was looking to damage its chances in the upcoming midterms, they could hardly have chosen a better strategy than to make a martyr of such a prominent rightie figure.

ADDENDUM 2: quotes from the Instapundit commentariat:

• Man assassinated for the crime of wanting to debate ideas.
• The most depressing part is seeing so many people across social media celebrating his murder. This is what they want, not just for Charlie Kirk, but for anyone that has the temerity to share his beliefs. And I have to wonder how many more people need to die before conservatives wake up and realize that the left has chosen violence, and they will not be satisfied with anything less.
• I asked a leftist who posted on Facebook that Kirk had it coming to give a specific example of Kirk's hate speech. After an extended back and forth with said leftist calling me names, it became clear that she had no idea of anything Kirk ever said.
• Remember, Bluesky was created because the political left said Elon Musk was allowing "hateful rhetoric" to spread on Twitter/X. (tweet)
• At his press conference, Governor Cox just reminded everyone that Utah has the death penalty.
• I hope this person lives to stand trial, is neither murdered nor given the chance to commit suicide. It is very important that his motives be publicly aired.
• Cooler heads need to prevail concerning this tragedy while we mourn. We need to know everything there is about the murderer, including anybody he is affiliated with who might have assisted in this.
• IMO, he was the absolute pinnacle of the American ideal of polite political discourse and discussion. He embodied the true goal we (both sides) should [aspire] to as the root of our first-amendment freedoms. Discuss anything and convince people while using facts and the truth, never violence or ill will. While it's easy to see how people could disagree with him, it is beyond me how anyone could think of it as hate speech or an incitement to violence.
• The media will describe the shooter as a MAGA NRA member in 3, 2, 1...

About that last item: a lot of Instapundit commenters are cynically wondering aloud whether the shooter was trans. Sigh.

ADDENDUM 3: Nick Freitas's thoughts.

ADDENDUM 4: As of 1:55 a.m. on September 12, Seoul time, it appears that Kirk's killer has not been caught (fog of war), but they have his rifle, prints, and some video footage of him escaping. Meanwhile, in other corners, talk of civil war is brewing. I'm a little more than halfway through Kurt Schlichter's American Apocalypse, which reads a lot like his The Attack, which I'd reviewed. In American Apocalypse, Schlichter paints a picture of a Civil War 2 that begins after both Trump and Vance are assassinated, and leftist Democrats seize power. The style is the same "interview" format used in The Attack (which was about massive terrorism on US soil), and the interviews all take place during Civil War 2's aftermath, after the conservatives have won and begun to restore the country. Both of these novels have the subtext of This could really happen, so be vigilant. I'm beginning to wonder that myself.

ADDENDUM 5: The killer has been caught—for real, this time. 

ADDENDUM 6: And despite a leftie commenter's attempt to gaslight otherwise, yes, Tyler Robinson was a leftie loon. See this post's (my post's) comment thread for my links.

ADDENDUM 7: The left is really pushing the lie that Tyler Robinson is a rightie. Watch: