I’m sitting here with so much frustration in my chest, and honestly, I feel like I can’t keep quiet. Balance has to stop. I don’t mean balance in the sense of peace or fairness—I mean this idea that we have to balance out violent acts by pretending they’re just part of the world we live in now. We shouldn’t be shrugging our shoulders and saying, “Well, that’s just politics these days.” Because it’s not normal, and it should never be. A man was shot dead for speaking his views. That’s not balance, that’s madness.

The whole thing still doesn’t feel real. Charlie Kirk, just 31 years old, was up there speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was answering questions, doing what he always does, talking about issues like mass shootings, of all things. And then it happened. A single gunshot ripped through the air, hitting him in the neck. Witnesses said he just collapsed, and suddenly the place was chaos. Thousands of people who came to listen, to be a part of a conversation, were screaming, running, trying to figure out what was going on. He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, but the doctors couldn’t save him. He died. Just like that, a life ended on stage in front of the world.

The suspect has now been identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Utah. This isn’t some shadow figure we’ll never know about; this is a young man, barely into adulthood, now accused of planning and carrying out a killing. The details of how he was caught are just as chilling. They say his own father may have helped turn him in, through a minister who had connections with law enforcement. Imagine being that father—recognizing that your own son is the one people are looking for, the one accused of murder. Surveillance cameras apparently captured Robinson fleeing from a rooftop near the university, slipping off toward the woods. Forensic investigators later found a high-powered bolt-action rifle, and alongside it, a palm print, a forearm imprint, even a shoe print. Everything pointing back to him.

What really twists my stomach is how deliberate this was. The shot came from nearly 200 yards away. That’s not an accident. That’s planning, precision, cold intention. This wasn’t a scuffle, this wasn’t heat-of-the-moment rage—this was calculated. And for what? To silence someone you disagreed with? To prove a point? To make people afraid? No matter the motive, there’s no excuse that can soften the horror.

What’s also haunting is how many people were there to see it unfold. This wasn’t in some hidden backroom. This was a college campus, a public event where people thought they were safe. Students, families, community members—they came out to participate in democracy, to listen, to question, maybe even to challenge. Instead, they watched someone die in front of them. That kind of trauma doesn’t just disappear. Those people will carry it for the rest of their lives.

And now, we’re left with so many unanswered questions. Why did Tyler Robinson do it? Was it political extremism? Was it personal anger? Was he caught up in some twisted ideology? We don’t know yet, and maybe that’s what makes this all feel even worse—because until we understand, it feels like it could happen anywhere, to anyone, at any time. We also don’t know if he acted entirely alone, or if there’s someone else behind the scenes, helping him plan or giving him access to the weapon. What we do know is that Robinson is in custody, and authorities are calling this a politically motivated attack.

It breaks my heart because no matter where you stand politically, Charlie Kirk was still a son, a friend, a man who had people who loved him. You don’t have to agree with his views to understand the gravity of what happened. The fact that we now live in a world where speaking your mind in public can get you killed is terrifying. We’re supposed to be better than this.

I’m writing this because I don’t want us to let it slide into just another headline we scroll past. This shouldn’t be shrugged off as another casualty of our times. This was a targeted killing, and it should wake us all up to the reality of where we’re headed if we don’t change something. Whether you agreed with Charlie Kirk or not, whether you supported him or couldn’t stand his politics, his murder is a blow to all of us. Because if speech costs a life, then none of us are safe.

So tonight, I’m grieving, and I’m angry. Angry that we’re here again. Angry that violence is becoming the punctuation mark at the end of every heated political sentence. And I’m praying for his family, his friends, and everyone who was there. I hope justice is served quickly, I hope the truth comes out fully, and I hope we start demanding more—because we deserve better than a world where this is allowed to become normal.

—Shannon

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