Hunter Kozak, the last person to speak with Charlie Kirk before his fatal shooting, shares his emotional account and clears misconceptions. [Photo Source: X/@persianjewess | X/@staxioms]
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on September 10 during an event at Utah Valley University. The conservative activist was answering audience questions inside a tent when a bullet shot him in the neck, and he was rushed to a hospital but died soon after.
Video from the event shows Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees when the fatal shot was fired. One of those attendees was 29-year-old Hunter Kozak, who asked Kirk a pointed question about mass shootings in America. Seconds later, chaos erupted.
Hunter Kozak had asked Charlie Kirk if he knew how many transgender Americans had committed mass shootings in the last ten years. Kirk replied, “Too many.” Kozak followed up by asking if Kirk knew how many total shootings had occurred in the US in the last decade.
Kirk responded, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” It was at that exact moment that the gunshot rang out.
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In a social media video, Kozak shared his shock and grief over what happened.
“I don’t know how to make this video; it’s been a rough 24 hours. I was the last person to talk to Charlie Kirk,” he said.
Addressing the shooter and those celebrating Kirk’s death, he added, “First off, you sick f---ing psychos who think this is the answer, it’s not. I don’t know what else to say. It’s awful, and a father doesn’t have his kids anymore. Charlie had two kids and a wife.”
Kozak also reflected on his own life. “Not to make this about me, but I have two kids and a wife, and if my one-year-old boy, like his one-year-old boy, will grow up without memories of his dad, it’s a tragedy, and it’s hard to grapple with. I’m part of a community that’s struggling to grapple with it right now.”
Hunter Kozak is a liberal TikToker who has often criticized Kirk’s views online. Despite his disagreements, he attended the event in good faith, hoping to challenge Kirk with questions. He arrived 90 minutes early to secure his spot in line.
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Kozak lives with his wife and two children in a conservative part of Utah. Their living room displays flags supporting Black Lives Matter, Ukraine, LGBTQ+ rights, and the US flag. Both he and his wife grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first met at Brigham Young University.
The New York Times reported that Kozak’s wife gave birth to their second child just a day before the shooting. He has since worried about being unfairly linked to the attack because Kirk was shot immediately after his question.
“I couldn’t have asked a worse question,” Kozak admitted, expressing guilt despite having no role in the violence.
The tragedy has reignited debate over how political and cultural divides play out during public events. Kozak noted the “irony” that he was highlighting how peaceful the Left had been right before the shooting occurred.
“People have obviously pointed to the irony that the point I was trying to make is how peaceful the left was right before he got shot, and that only makes sense if we stay peaceful,” he said.
He ended his message with a plea: “And if you’re salivating about what happened, don’t. I don’t know if any of my audience is, but if you are, you’re not part of what I’m trying to build here, at all.”
