Charlie Kirk Killer Found or Not? Confusion Swirls Around False Social Media Claims

Did Utah Police Catch the Kirk Killer? Confusion Rises Over Fake Social Media Claims.

Charlie Kirk, a famous conservative activist in the United States and a loyal friend of President Donald Trump, was shot dead at an event at Utah Valley University. Amidst an ongoing manhunt, social media sleuths mistakenly claimed a Canadian man named Michael Mallinson as the killer. Originating from a fake account, the claim spread across social media platforms like wildfire. 

Who is Michael Mallinson

The retired banker, Michael Mallinson, received a call from his daughter to confirm the news about his involvement in the killing of Charlie Kirk. The mix-up happened following the arrest of a man resembling Mallinson. 

Circulated from a fake account named Fox 11 Reno, it was another story of false claims used to generate revenue from unconfirmed breaking news. The person in question revealed that he was “shocked” by the speed at which his photograph was shared online.

The Real Manhunt, as Stated by the Police Department:

A statement released by the Utah Department of Public Safety said: “The shooting is still an active investigation.”

Law enforcement authorities initially took one person, George Zinn, into custody as a suspect, but later released him and charged him with obstruction by the police department.

There was a second suspect named Zachariah Qureshi, also taken into custody. He was released soon after interrogation. Later, the police department said that neither of these individuals is linked to the shooting.

The probe is currently underway in collaboration with the Utah DPS and the FBI. The local police, Utah County Attorney's office, and the County Sheriff's office are also supporting the investigation. The Department of Public Safety statement said: “The shooting was believed to be a targeted attack by a shooter from the roof of a building,” but said it could not provide further details “to protect the integrity of our investigation”.

The Deadly Incident 

The 31-year-old conservative activist sat under a tent, debating political opponents taking their turn at a microphone, many gathered on the lawns cheered, and some protested. 

Before the shooting, Kirk, sitting at his “Prove Me Wrong” debating table, was taking questions from an audience outdoors. The topic was mass shootings and transgender people before he was shot.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk was asked.

“Too many,” Kirk responded as the crowd clapped.

“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” To which Kirk replied, “Counting or not counting gang violence?”

Seconds later, Kirk was seen struck in the neck as he fell from his chair, and attendees were all running in terror.

According to reports, Kirk was shot about 20 minutes after he began interacting with the audience at approximately 12:10 pm local time (18:10 GMT).  At least 3,000 people were attending the event, six officers from UVU PD, in addition to Kirk's own security personnel.

Online petition to prevent the speech

Since the announcement of his speech, an online petition has been floated asking university administrators to cancel Kirk's participation on the UVU campus. At least 6000 supporters described the conservative influencer on the petition site Change.org as "a highly polarizing figure" who "does not align with the core values and ideology that Utah State University strives to epitomize".

The petition mentioned: "As a university deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, it stands at odds with the messages frequently associated with Charlie Kirk and his platform. Allowing him to speak on our campus would not only misrepresent the values we hold dear but also create an environment where divisive rhetoric could flourish," the petition said.

Donald Trump on Kirk’s Demise

President Donald Trump expressed grief over the killing of his supporter and close ally: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife, Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!" Trump posted this on Truth Social. 

He also released a video statement on Kirk's assassination and blamed the 'radical left' for this campus killing. The President also accused them of comparing people like Kirk to "Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals".

The killing of Charlie Kirk is both a shocking campus violence in America and the ever-growing trend of recent political violence.