Assassination

Stephen A. Smith used his platform on Thursday (Sep. 11) to call out those celebrating the recent assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

On his podcast, the ESPN commentator delivered a passionate response to the online reaction following Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University. “I don’t care what his political beliefs were. I don’t care what he felt,” Smith said. “He’s dead at the age of 31. That his wife is a widow. That his children are fatherless because his ideas and his beliefs differed from somebody else, apparently.”

Smith went further, criticizing the celebratory posts he saw online. “And then I’m going online, and I’m seeing people celebrating it! Shame! Shame on you!” he added. However, he also commended the New York Yankees for pausing Wednesday night’s game against the Detroit Tigers to honor Kirk with a moment of silence and an image on the jumbotron.

“Props to the New York Yankees organization last night for having a moment of silence,” Smith continued. “We’re not supposed to condone stuff like this. We’re not supposed to say it’s OK. I don’t give a damn who you are, Black, White or anything in between! I hope the FBI and law enforcement catch this individual and do what needs to be done with him.”

Reactions to Kirk’s death included Team USA BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe, who faced scrutiny after posting celebratory messages on Instagram. MSNBC dismissed political analyst Matthew Dowd for suggesting Kirk’s rhetoric led to his death, and the Carolina Panthers fired communications staffer Charlie Rock for social media posts downplaying the tragedy.

Kirk was fatally shot by a lone gunman on Wednesday (Sep. 10), as he addressed students at Utah Valley University.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested in St. George, Utah, on Friday (Sep. 12), according to officials and sources who spoke with ABC News. His capture came after investigators circulated photos of the suspect, which Robinson’s father recognized. At a Friday morning press conference, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed the arrest with the words, “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. We got him.”

Cox explained that Robinson’s father confronted his son after realizing he matched the images released by police. Though Robinson initially refused to surrender, he eventually agreed. His father then reached out to a youth pastor who also serves as a U.S. Marshals task force officer, who coordinated with the FBI to ensure Robinson stayed put until authorities arrived.

He also publicly thanked Robinson’s family “for doing the right thing.” He also detailed surveillance footage showing Robinson arriving on campus on Wednesday at 8:29 A.M. in a gray Dodge Challenger. At the time, Robinson wore a maroon T-shirt, light shorts, light shoes, and a black hat with a white logo. Investigators say he later changed into dark clothing before the shooting, then switched back to his original outfit afterward.

Authorities also revealed bizarre engravings on unfired shell casings recovered at the scene. One read, “Hey fascist! CATCH!” accompanied by arrows pointing in multiple directions. Another contained lyrics from the Italian World War II resistance song “Bella Ciao.” A third read, “If you read this, you are GAY Lmao.”