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In his last 24 hours, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk sent personal and public messages expressing his strong Christian faith and spoke out in defense of slain Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Moments before his assassination at Utah Valley University (UVU) during an event that was part of “The American Comeback Tour,” Kirk spoke about the Bible. A man who was always open about his connection to faith, Kirk reaffirmed his belief in Jesus Christ, referring to Corinthians verses.
“It’s not just intrabiblical evidence, but extrabiblical evidence that Jesus Christ was a real person, he lived a perfect life, he was crucified, died and rose on the third day, and he is Lord and God over all,” Kirk said while sitting under the very tent where he would be fatally shot.
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Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)
During the event, Kirk debated with students as he usually did, often challenging those with opposing ideas to elaborate on their stances.
The last person to ask Kirk a question was a UVU mathematics student, Hunter Kozak, 29, who goes by the name Hunter Stax online, according to the New York Post.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kozak asked. While Kirk said “too many,” Kozak contested the number was five.
Kirk’s final words were a question to Kozak for clarity on the number. He asked whether that was “counting or not counting gang violence.” That’s when the shot rang out, ending the 31-year-old activist’s life.
An FBI agent looks near Utah Valley University where evidence was collected as authorities investigate the shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk on September 11, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
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Kirk’s final post on X read, “If we want things to change, it’s 100% necessary to politicize the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska because it was politics that allowed a savage monster with 14 priors to be free on the streets to kill her.”
The post also included a video of Kirk’s analysis of the attack and a response to former Obama adviser Van Jones. Jones accused Kirk of unjustifiably citing race when discussing Zarutska’s murder. Kirk had mentioned that the suspect, Decarlos Brown, was heard stating in the surveillance footage from the Charlotte, North Carolina, light rail train that he “got that white girl” twice. Moments later, Brown stabbed Zarutska to death.
Iryna Zarutska cowers as her attacker towers over her. (NewsNation via Charlotte Area Transit System)
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Kirk addressed his back-and-forth with Jones on “The Will Cain Show” earlier this week, pointing out that the former Obama adviser often called George Floyd’s death a racist attack even if officials involved in the case did not. Kirk was one of many who drew parallels between the lack of reaction to Zarutska’s murder in comparison to the response to Floyd’s death.
He also posted about Zarustka on Instagram with a photo of the Ukrainian refugee’s terrified expression as she looked at her attacker, captioning it, “America will never be the same.” Kirk’s own life was taken hours later.
Memorials honoring Charlie Kirk have been held across the country and overseas, including in Berlin. Kirk was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025 ( Ilkin Eskipehlivan /Anadolu via Getty Images)
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, was one of several people to share screenshots of their final text messages with Kirk.
“Thank you so much. Just landed,” Kirk wrote to the senator. “Event I think is going to be a win.”
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Daily Wire reporter Kassy Akiva also shared her last messages with Kirk. While it is not obvious what issue the two were discussing in the exchange, Kirk says he needed to “be better and just mute the noise.”
“We all do. It’s why I have a ton of friends who aren’t into politics and when I see them, they have 0 idea about any of the controversies on Twitter. It’s so refreshing,” Akiva wrote, and Kirk responded in agreement.