The mystery bearded man who appeared to be celebrating in the crowd moments after Charlie Kirk was shot claimed he wasn’t cheering the horrifying violence, but shouting “USA” to create a “distraction” that might help “save lives.”
A man going by David on X, who claims to be the person seen in the viral video filmed at the Utah Valley University event, posted a two-minute statement in which he attempts to explain himself.
“When I heard a sharp crack at first I thought it might have been fireworks or a disruptive prank,” the man says, appearing to be wearing the same tan-colored backwards cap as the man apparently celebrating in the video.
“I looked up to the horizon for smoke. When none appeared, I realized it must have been a firearm,” he said in a monotone voice, his eyes seeming to dart back and forth as if reading the statement as he stumbled over some of the words.
He said based on a friend’s reaction he “believed Charlie had been gravely injured,” and “instinctively checked the security team’s movement” before rising to his feet.
Stay up to date on the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
“I stood and shouted ‘USA,’ not as a provocation, but to project strength, encourage others, and create a distraction that might help calm panic or even save lives.”
He claims he was only minimally familiar with Kirk‘s content, but said he “would never wish to celebrate harm to anyone.”
A short time later, he posted a rambling follow-up video, calling himself “the happiest person you ever met in your entire life” and claiming to be sick of “my soldiers, including Charlie, dying so you guys can mock each other,” he said staring straight into the camera. “Mock, mock, mock.”
As he continued ranting, he called out media figures including John Oliver, Matt Walsh and Steven Crowder, saying “mockery … on both sides of the equation” was “killing my soldiers, my people.”
He didn’t elaborate who his “soldiers” were.
