Charlie Kirk Torched For Reaction to NYC Shooting: ‘Lying, Bootlicking Scumbag’
Meredith Seaver/College Station Eagle via AP
Pro-Trump activist Charlie Kirk faced intense criticism over a social media post reacting to the fatal shooting in a midtown Manhattan office building that left four dead, including an NYPD officer. The alleged gunman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound after turning his rifle on himself.
In a series of incendiary posts to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Kirk attacked CNN for its coverage of the shooting and suggested it was a consequence of people who “don’t belong” in the city.
“Was just in NYC all weekend with our family,” Kirk wrote. “Never felt safe. So many people in the city who don’t belong. Praying for all involved.”
Police identified Las Vegas man Shane Tamura, 27, as the suspect in the shooting at 345 Park Avenue, which houses the headquarters of the NFL. While a motive has yet to be identified, CNN reported his body was found with a suicide note “expressing grievances with the NFL and saying he suffered from CTE.”
The NYPD officer killed in the attack was identified as Didarul Islam, a 36-year-old immigrant from Bangladesh and father of two who lived in the Bronx. He had served on the force for around three and a half years and was working as security in the lobby of the office building where the gunman opened fire with an AR-15-style rifle.
While crime in New York remains higher than pre-pandemic, it is still one of the safest large cities in the United States and the world. In May, Bloomberg reported that in 2025 the city is on track to have its lowest murder rate since 1944.
Kirk was torched for his comments, with many pointing out that his home of Phoenix, Arizona has a considerably higher homicide rate than New York.
Kirk, who founded the pro-Trump youth group Turning Point USA, has been accused of increasingly racist rhetoric in recent months — with even self-proclaimed fans calling his posts “blatant racism” and comparing him to white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Last month, Fox News host Jessica Tarlov urged him to delete a post on social media connecting the 9/11 terror attacks to the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic primary for New York City mayor.
Over the weekend, he guest-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend.
