Utah News: Outrage After Video Shows Theft Amid Tragedy at Charlie Kirk Event

“I was maybe 15 feet away from him,” said student Skyler Baird. “I heard a pop, and I said in my mind, ‘that was a gunshot.’ I pretty much knew immediately that he wasn’t going to make it.”

Baird described how, despite visible security near Kirk, the open campus setting created vulnerabilities. “He was well-guarded against someone running up with a weapon, but in the general area, it just felt like a normal campus day,” he explained.

Former Utah state representative Phil Lyman, who had been on stage with Kirk earlier, shared similar reflections. “Three thousand kids basically watched someone shot right in front of them — it was really traumatic,” he told the BBC. “Charlie was probably the most influential person for young people, especially in the conservative movement. This was a pivotal moment in America.”

The Disturbing Video

As students fled or froze in confusion, video later posted to social media showed one individual heading toward the merchandise tent, where baseball caps Kirk had handed out earlier were still on display.

In the clip, someone is heard off-camera saying, “Grab me a hat,” while another person takes items from the table. The footage quickly spread across TikTok and then onto X, where viewers expressed outrage that such behavior could take place amid tragedy.

Security officers swiftly intervened and removed the individual from the area, but the damage was already done. For many who saw the clip, it was a painful contrast: while one family was plunged into grief, others showed shocking disregard for the gravity of the moment.

A Violation of Respect

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