The murder of Charlie Kirk top of the news in America, with the controversial right-wing commentator being shot dead while on his 'American Comback Tour'. Kirk was known for his outspoken views, sparking over 1,000 signatures on a petition calling for his tour to be banned from Utah Valley University. Still, the talk went ahead, with Kirk addressing a 3,000-strong crowd on September 10.
A multiagency manhunt is now underway for a lone shooter who appeared to take Kirk out with a single gunshot from the roof of the university welcome center. Eyewitness accounts recall the harrowing scene with gushing blood, and while a man was arrested at the scene, FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed the lead suspect has now been released.
As confusion followed about the condition of Kirk, it was over to President Donald Trump to confirm his passing, while others like JD Vance, Utah's Governor Spencer Cox, and Elon Musk have all spoken out about the incident. A number of other celebrities have shared their condolences and prayers, although one in particular has come under fire.
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Notably, Marvel Cinematic Universe star Chris Pratt has been blasted for his tribute to Kirk.
Posting shortly after the shooting, the actor known for playing Star-Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies said: "Praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country. We need God’s grace. God help us."
Pratt has previously been called out for his ties to a supposedly far-right church, as well as being notably absent from an October 2020 fundraiser for Joe Biden that was attended by MCU mainstays, including Scarlett Johansson, Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Mark Ruffalo.
The timing was unfortunate, with Kirk's assassination largely dominating the news and overshadowing a school shooting in Colorado. A student opened fire at Evergreen High School, with the shooter dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound and two others being taken to hospital in a critical condition.
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Responding to Pratt, one angry person wrote: "Praying for you to get f**king fired from Marvel."
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Another added: "Oh now you wanna say something like there hasn’t been anything worse happening in the world rn."
A third raged as they shared a quote from Kirk when he said gun deaths were 'unfortunately' worth it in allowing Americans to retain the right to keep and bear arms: "Where was Chris Pratt when Charlie Kirk was saying this? Charlie was even talking about mass school shooting where children died btw.... Where was Chris's 'God Help Us' then???"
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Others pointed out how Pratt gave his condolences to Kirk but seemed to stay quiet on the June 2025 assassination of Democrat Melissa Hortman. Someone concluded: "Charlie Kirk's murder being a much bigger national story and event than an actual democratic politician and her husband being assassinated seems foreboding."
At a time when the likes of Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem, and Pratt's MCU costar, Ruffalo, have signed the Film Workers For Palestine pledge, Pratt has also faced criticism for his silence on the situation in Gaza.
As for the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Jake Paul, The View's Meghan McCain, and Arnold Schwarzenegger all made their voices heard, while Jimmy Kimmel reiterated that the 'senseless' death shouldn't be used to create division.