Charlie Kirk built a career on extremism, controversy, and absolutes. Earlier this year, he declared that gun deaths in America were “worth it” to protect the Second Amendment. Five months later, he was fatally shot during a Turning Point USA event in Utah.
In April, just days after a mass shooting at the Christian Covenant School in Nashville that left three children and three adults dead, Kirk took the stage at a TPUSA Faith event and laid out his view in blunt terms:
“You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won’t have a single gun death,” Kirk said. “That is nonsense. It’s drivel. But I am—I think it’s worth it.
I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe.”
On Wednesday afternnon, Kirk was shot and killed while answering a question about gun violence at Utah Valley University. A single gunshot cracked through the auditorium. In video shared on social media, the crowd can be heard screaming as Kirk clutches his neck and collapses.
The irony is staggering. The very system of gun access he so aggressively defended was, in the end, what took his life.
Kirk didn’t shy away from embracing America’s gun violence as the collateral damage of freedom. In the same April appearance, he compared gun deaths to car accidents, saying both are just unfortunate costs society agrees to bear.
“Driving comes with a price—50,000, 50,000, 50,000 people die on the road every year. That’s a price. You get rid of driving, you’d have 50,000 less auto fatalities,” he said.
“But we have decided that the benefit of driving—speed, accessibility, mobility, having products, services—is worth the cost… So we need to be very clear that you’re not going to get gun deaths to zero.”
Charlie Kirk: “It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment”https://t.co/uoM6TqnAgJ pic.twitter.com/mbJSa2Lzmi
— Jason S. Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) April 6, 2023
The problem? Gun deaths aren’t just background noise anymore. Firearms are now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S., according to the CDC and the New England Journal of Medicine. More than 48,000 Americans died from gun-related injuries in 2021—the highest ever recorded.
Kirk’s claim that gun violence is just a side effect of “liberty” rings hollow for those whose lives have been torn apart by it.
“The fact that guns are the leading killer of children and teens and more than 40,000 people are killed by guns every year in this country is not ‘a prudent deal’—it’s an obscene tragedy,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action.
“Gun safety laws are proven to save lives and are constitutional. Any suggestion otherwise is shilling for the gun industry.”
In the wake of Kirk’s death, both allies and opponents issued condolences. Some of his conservative colleagues echoed his legacy of free speech and gun rights. Meanwhile, gun safety advocates and Democrats are seizing the moment to call out the cost of inaction.
Kris Brown, president of gun control group Brady, didn’t mince words:
“I would dare Mr. Kirk to ask the parents and family of a gun violence victim if they believe their child’s life was worth an extremist view of the Second Amendment that allows anyone, anywhere to own and carry a weapon of war.”
Her comments echo growing national frustration. A Gallup poll from February found 63% of Americans are dissatisfied with U.S. gun laws, the highest level in over two decades. Public opinion is shifting, and the pressure is growing—not just for “thoughts and prayers,” but for legislation.
That same week, House Democrats called on Speaker Kevin McCarthy to bring forward a vote on an assault weapons ban. Whether that happens remains to be seen.
An American contradiction
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two young children. His death is a tragedy. So are the deaths of thousands of others who didn’t have the name recognition, platform, or influence to be remembered in headlines.
But this one hits different—not because Kirk’s life was more valuable, but because of what he said.
He called gun deaths “a prudent deal.” He said it was “rational.” He said it was “worth it.”
Now the country is left asking: Worth it to whom?
Because for a growing number of Americans—including grieving families, teachers, emergency room doctors, and yes, even former supporters—the price is looking far too high.
