The man caught on camera shouting “USA” moments after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot says he wasn’t celebrating, but trying to “project strength” and create “distraction” in the chaos.
In the hours after Charlie Kirk’s assassination, footage went viral of a man appearing to cheer and shout “USA!” as panicked crowds scrambled for cover. Many online slammed the act as mocking or celebratory.
Now, the man — identifying himself only as David — has issued a clarification in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“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,” he explained.
David admitted he did not follow Kirk’s work closely but insisted he “would never wish to celebrate harm to anyone.” He recalled initially mistaking the gunshot for fireworks until realizing it was a firearm when he saw no smoke.
He added that his reaction was instinctive after seeing others’ shock and believing Kirk had been gravely injured:
“I instinctively checked the security team’s movement… my soldiers, including Charlie, dying so you guys can mock each other.”
David did not clarify what he meant by “my soldiers.”
The video footage shows him glancing back toward the gunfire as 31-year-old Kirk collapsed from a neck wound during his speech at Utah Valley University. While most of the audience fled in panic, David remained standing, a detail that intensified speculation about his intentions.
Kirk — founder of Turning Point USA, conservative activist, author, and podcast host — was fatally shot on September 10. Since founding the organization in 2012 at just 18 years old, Kirk had become a central figure in rallying young Americans to conservative causes and a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.
His murder shocked the conservative movement, with many calling it a turning point in the escalating wave of political violence in America.
