We’ve heard that Charlie Kirk was fielding a question from someone when he was brutally murdered on Wednesday by an assassin at an event at Utah Valley University.
But amid our shock and horror, we’ve naturally focused on Kirk, his grieving family, the shooter, and the pain that this tragedy has inflicted on our country.
But who was the person talking to Charlie at that awful moment? His name is Hunter Kozak, and like Kirk, he is the father of two. Despite his vehement disagreements with Kirk’s philosophy, he was nevertheless horrified by his senseless killing:
The Utah Valley University student who was challenging Charlie Kirk on mass shootings at the very moment the conservative firebrand was gunned down says he is still reeling from the horror.Hunter Kozak, a father of two, posted an emotional Instagram video admitting it has been ‘a rough 24 hours’ as he tries to process the assassination he witnessed.
‘It’s a tragedy,’ he said. ‘It’s hard to grapple with.’
Kozak — who has publicly sparred with Kirk’s views in past social media posts — explained why he went to the event to ask his question, and insisted the killing cannot be justified.
‘To those who think this is the answer, it’s not,’ he said firmly. ‘I’m on the record with how much I disagree with Charlie Kirk, but, man, dude, he is still a human being. Have we forgotten that?’
The man who asked Charlie Kirk the tr*nsgender question before he was shot breaks his silence.
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) September 11, 2025
“The point I was trying to make is how peaceful the left was (long pause) right before he got shot.” pic.twitter.com/NkF6yqsr6B
J.D. Vance Helps Charlie Kirk's Casket Onto Air Force Two, Both Land in Arizona
Kozak noted that he was a father as well, and understood the pain that Kirk’s family will certainly endure as their father has been needlessly taken from them:
‘Charlie had two kids and a wife,’ Kozak said. ‘And not to make this about me, but I have two kids and a wife. If my one-year-old boy grew up without memories of his dad, like Charlie’s one-year-old will, it’s a tragedy.’
Kozak added that the ‘irony’ of his question — highlighting how peaceful the left had been compared to the right — was not lost on him.
‘That only makes sense if we stay peaceful,’ he said.
Kozak is taking a lot of heat on the internet for failing to come to grips with the reality that the left is responsible for so much of the violent political rhetoric—and violent acts—that we’re seeing in this country.
Hopefully, he sees the absurdity of his own statement, too.
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) September 11, 2025
“The point I was trying to make is how peaceful the left was (long pause) right before he got shot.”
That is the ultimate self-contradiction.
That being said, I found his words to be moving—he’s a man coming to the realization that his reality wasn’t what he thought it was. His people, who he thought were heroes, are anything but.
He may be misguided, like so many brainwashed leftists in this country, but I do have some sympathy for him as he tries to cope with what he just witnessed. Others may feel differently, but I can only imagine how traumatic seeing something like that would be to the psyche.
Charlie would have set him straight—if given the chance.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member