Elon Musk calls out alleged cheering over Charlie Kirk’s murder in retweeted video

In recent days, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of the platform X (formerly Twitter), has publicly condemned what he says are instances of cheering over the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Musk’s reaction follows the circulation of a chilling video purporting to show someone in a crowd celebrating immediately after Kirk was fatally shot. 

The footage that blew up on social media has sparked outrage, intense debate and questions about what was real, what was misinterpreted and how platforms should respond to violence and its aftermath.

Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was killed in a targeted shooting at Utah Valley University. Others raised alarms about the possible celebration of the act following the multiple video clips of this, which spread on X, Facebook, Instagram and other graphic sites. 

Musk has intervened via tweets and retweets to highlight what he calls “cold-blooded murder” and to call out those allegedly cheering or condoning Kirk’s death. Alongside condemning the violence, Musk has urged users to call out such behavior when they see it. The actor of the alleged cheering remains unverified and parts of the videos are being scrutinized for context.

Elon Musk speaks out after viral clip claims to show celebratory reaction to Charlie Kirk’s murder

When addressing the funeral, Musk strongly condemned what he described as a “celebration” over the murder of Charlie Kirk. He retweeted a post claiming people were applauding or cheering in the crowd immediately after the shooting. In one of his responses on X, Musk wrote, 

“They are celebrating cold-blooded murder.” 

In another deleted post, Musk said: “Ostracize anyone who is this evil and tell them so to their face,” referring to a user’s claim that a coworker was seen cheering after Kirk was shot. He also retweeted a video message from former President Donald Trump paying tribute to Kirk, as well as posts accusing individuals on rival platforms such as BlueSky of celebrating Kirk’s death. 

While multiple sources agree that Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at the university, the specific claim about cheering is still under investigation. A video widely shared shows a man appearing to celebrate and look toward what some believe to be the shooter’s location just after the shot was fired. However, whether this is accurate, whether the person is correctly identified and the exact timing of his actions remain unconfirmed. 

Authorities have not publicly verified the claims that anyone in the audience cheered or that crowd chants such as “kill Charlie Kirk” were present before or after the shooting. Some users who claimed to have witnessed cheering later said they might have misinterpreted what they saw. 

Broader reactions and implications

The alleged cheering and Musk’s amplification of those claims have ignited broader debate about political violence, the responsibility of platforms and how speech is policed in moments of crisis. Republican figures, including Representative Anna Paulina Luna, have called on Musk to remove graphic videos of the murder from X and other digital platforms.

Many users across the political spectrum have expressed shock at the idea that someone might be celebrating a killing. Others warn against rushing to judgment without firm evidence, citing risks of misidentification, misleading clips and spread of misinformation. Musk’s emphatic language - such as calling out “evil people” -  reflects how high tensions are, especially in the context of rising concern about political extremism and violence.