Joe Rogan was visibly shaken after learning in real time that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been assassinated. The shocking moment unfolded on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience while Rogan was recording with actor Charlie Sheen.
Shock On Air
Midway through their discussion, Rogan suddenly interrupted: “This just happened, we just found out Charlie Kirk was shot. Is he dead?” The 58-year-old podcaster leaned back in his chair, his hands pressed against his head in disbelief.
As his production team scrambled to confirm details, Sheen responded with disbelief of his own: “That’s f**king awful.”
Rogan let out a long breath before speaking again, muttering simply: “Whoa.”
Throughout the exchange, Sheen voiced what many were already thinking. “Murdered for having a different opinion from somebody else, different ideology from somebody else,” he said. Rogan, still dazed, replied softly: “Yeah.”
He then asked his crew, “Do they even have a suspect?”
The Assassination
Kirk, 31, was gunned down Wednesday afternoon while hosting the first stop of his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
He was seated beneath a white tented gazebo, fielding questions from students, when a bullet fired from about 200 yards away struck his neck. Moments earlier, Kirk had been asked how many mass shootings America had seen over the last decade.
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” were his final words before the shot rang out.
Witnesses described a scene of panic as young people screamed and rushed for cover. Kirk collapsed instantly, blood gushing from the wound, as security rushed to his side. Despite being rushed to the hospital in critical condition, he was pronounced dead two-and-a-half hours later.
Hunt for the Killer
The gunman remains at large, as the FBI and Utah police continue what has now become a national manhunt. Officials say they have recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle from a nearby wooded area and released photos of a person of interest, described as a college-age male wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a black long-sleeved shirt.
The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Tributes Pour In
The assassination has sparked tributes from across the political and media landscape. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death Wednesday evening, calling him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk.” Trump also ordered all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff through Sunday evening in Kirk’s honor
Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, their 3-year-old daughter, and 16-month-old son. The couple had just celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
