Topics: Charlie Kirk, Crime, Politics, Social Media, US News, World News, Twitter
Charlie Kirk paid tribute to a Ukrainian refugee who was tragically murdered in America, just hours before his own assassination.
Posting on X the day he died, Wednesday (10 September), the 31-year-old right-wing activist also issued harrowing comments about how it's 'necessary' to 'politicize' her killing.
Kirk, who was the CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit political youth organisation, Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at a university debate event in Utah.
Iryna Zarutska, 23, the woman he posted about before being shot, was stabbed to death on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina, last month (22 August).
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Graphic videos of both deaths have circulated on social media since, and Kirk made sure to share his views on Zarutska's murder online, sharing an image of the refugee and writing that 'America will never be the same'.
He later penned: "If we want things to change, it's 100% necessary to politicise the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska because it was politics that allowed a savage monster with 14 priors to be free on the streets to kill her."
This was the last message Kirk ever posted, at 11:34am local time (6:34pm BST). He was shot at roughly 12:20pm local time (7:20pm BST).
Zarutska was stabbed to death while travelling on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina shortly before 10 p.m. on 22 August.
The 23-year-old was on the Lynx Blue Line near the Camden Road area in Charlotte's South End and shocking video footage shows the moments leading up to and right after the horrifying incident.
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) released the video showing Zarutska seated as she was repeatedly stabbed from behind.
An arrest affidavit which was obtained by PEOPLE, revealed that Brown was believed to have unfolded a knife from his pocket and stabbed Zarutska three times after she boarded and sat in front of him.
Brown has not entered a plea yet.
Zarutska was pronounced dead at the scene, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) said.
A man called Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder - he has a prior criminal history that includes robbery and larceny convictions, having previously been arrested 14 times.
According to authorities, Zarutska had fled the war in Ukraine and was trying to start a new life in Charlotte, US.
The horrific murder has sparked a nationwide political debate surrounding crime in America and has been heavily covered by the media, as has Kirk's death.
The podcaster was on the first day of his 'The American Comeback Tour', which was supposed to see him go on to visit a further 14 universities.
However, he was struck by a gunman who fired a bullet through his neck as he prepared to answer a question from a student.
The suspect behind the murder vanished from the roof he was standing on and into the woods. He remains at large while federal investigators are appealing for the public’s help by releasing photos of the person they believe is responsible.
Investigators obtained clues, including a palm print, a shoe impression and a high-powered hunting rifle found in a wooded area along the path the assassin fled.
But, they have yet to name a suspect or cite a motive in the killing, that's being treated as political violence.
