Nick Fuentes, an extremist figure long at odds with conservative activist Charlie Kirk, urged calm and disavowed any supporters who would respond to Kirk’s assassination with violence, after Kirk was shot while speaking at a Utah university this week.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative commentator, collapsed after being struck by gunfire Wednesday while addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities said the main suspect, identified as local student Tyler Robinson, was handed over to police by family members on Friday after they grew suspicious and concerned about him.
Fuentes, 27, went live Thursday night and described Kirk’s death as a “tragedy,” saying the news did not feel real. He acknowledged a long-running rivalry with Kirk, saying he had been an "adversary" rather than a friend. Fuentes told his followers, known as Groypers, that anyone who "takes up arms" over the killing should be disavowed and disowned "in the strongest possible terms."
Fuentes has been publicly barred from Turning Point USA events and, in the past, from the Conservative Political Action Conference. He has been described by many observers as a white supremacist and a Holocaust denier. His supporters have used the acronym RKD4NJF, which has been reported to stand for "rape, kill and die for Nicholas Joseph Fuentes." A social media clip that resurfaced after the arrest showed Fuentes last month urging followers to protest and shout down Kirk at public events.
Officials said Robinson had inscribed messages on bullets that referenced internet culture and anti-fascist sentiments before opening fire. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said a family member told investigators Robinson had mentioned Kirk’s upcoming appearance at Utah Valley University and voiced dislike for Kirk’s viewpoints. "They talked about why they didn’t like [Kirk] and the viewpoints that he had," Cox said in discussing conversations among the suspect’s relatives.
Authorities have described Robinson as increasingly political in recent years. Police announced the arrest after the suspect’s family contacted law enforcement; officials said family members handed him over when they grew suspicious of his behavior. Investigators are continuing to examine electronic devices and other evidence to determine motive and whether others were involved.
President Donald Trump, speaking publicly after the arrest, called for the death penalty for the suspect and described Kirk as the "finest person." Trump’s statement added a national political overlay to an investigation that has drawn attention from across the conservative movement. Kirk was a frequent campus speaker and media presence known for combative debate style and alignment with MAGA figures. His profile included ties with figures such as Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer, and Turning Point USA has been a prominent conservative youth organization.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies are coordinating the probe. Prosecutors are expected to review the evidence before determining formal charges and whether to seek enhanced penalties. Kirk’s family has not released a public statement detailing funeral arrangements, and campus officials said counseling and support services were being offered to students and staff affected by the shooting.
Fuentes’s public condemnation of retaliatory violence contrasted with his past rhetoric calling for protests at Kirk’s events, a point that drew scrutiny after the killing. In his live remarks this week, Fuentes reiterated that, despite political enmity, the killing was not something he wanted or endorsed. The investigation into the shooting remains active, and authorities urged anyone with information to come forward.