X user claiming to be mystery figure says he chanted “USA” to create “distraction” and help save lives, calls Kirk one of his “soldiers” in cryptic videos
A bearded man who was filmed appearing to cheer with glee after Charlie Kirk was shot has broken his silence with a bizarre explanation for his controversial actions.
The individual, who has now posted a two-minute video on X claiming to be the person in the viral footage, denies he was in any way celebrating Kirk’s death and insists his actions were meant to help “save lives.” Viral footage at the time of the shocking assassination shows a man with a beard wearing a baseball cap and t-shirt raising his arms and cheering in the aftermath.
He had been in the crowd present at Utah Valley University when the shooting took place on Wednesday. Going by the name David on X (@RtothepowerofX), one user has now claimed to be the individual who bizarrely appeared to celebrate the tragedy.
“USA” Chant as “Distraction”
But he denies he was cheering Kirk’s death, claiming his actions were meant to create a “distraction” that might help save lives. Donning the same baseball cap as he wore in the viral video, David said in his explanation video: “When I heard a sharp crack at first I thought it might have been fireworks or a disruptive prank. I looked up to the horizon for smoke.”
“When none appeared, I realised it must have been a firearm,” he continued. A friend’s reaction gave him the impression he “believed Charlie had been gravely injured.”
He then “instinctively checked the security team’s movement” and got to his feet. “I stood and shouted ‘USA,’ not as a provocation, but to project strength, encourage others, and create a distraction that might help calm panic or even save lives,” David said. “At that moment, no one knew whether this was a lone shooter or something coordinated.”
He added that he’s not overly familiar with Kirk’s content but he “would never wish to celebrate harm to anyone.”
Cryptic Follow-Up Messages
In a cryptic follow-up video, David said he’s “the happiest person you ever met in your entire life.” He went on to say “my soldiers, including Charlie, dying so you guys can mock each other.”
David did not clarify who he meant by his “soldiers,” though he claimed to have a “background as a soldier” that helped him remain calm in the stressful situation.
In another post, he wrote: “I am absolutely sick of all of my soldiers, including Charlie, dying so you guys can mock each other.” He later called out pundits on both the left and right by name as contributing to the problem, including HBO’s liberal John Oliver and conservative commentators Matt Walsh and Steven Crowder.
Initial Misidentification
The controversy surrounding the bearded man’s identity was compounded when some social media users initially misidentified him as a person named Matt Taber. Native Alien (@GodsLooper) was among the X users who made the claim but later backtracked, writing: “Matt Taber is a douche… but not the actual guy… although Matt is milking the attention to push his Palestine narrative. David is the dude in the video and owning it. This is a Rough backtrack… but when I’m wrong… I’m wrong.”
David himself addressed the misidentification, writing: “Losing Charlie Kurk [sic] is heavy, and we are still mourning. Trust that I’ll be explaining myself very soon, but every lie about me brings me one step closer to becoming very dead and at the hands of the mob. Should I die for hate or entertainment? Truth will satisfy neather [sic] appetite.”
Public Reaction
The viral clip shows the young man in a black T-shirt and a backwards cap raising both fists and yelling “USA! USA! USA!” immediately after Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck. According to witnesses, the bearded man stayed upright whilst other attendees panicked and screamed.
Social media reaction to David’s explanation has been largely hostile. “This guy happens to know where the shooter was and is looking back, cheering him on after the lifeless body of Charlie Kirk has fallen to the ground,” one user commented. Another asked: “How psychotic do you have to be to cheer as Charlie Kirk gushes blood and dies, while others scream and cower?”
Many commenters expressed scepticism about David’s explanation. “What you did was dumb. Just own up and apologise,” one user wrote. The Western Journal reported that “judging by the reaction on social media, the man isn’t making a lot of headway in claiming his innocence to Charlie Kirk fans.”
Investigation Continues
Charlie Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday at an outdoor student debate event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. His assassination has been widely condemned all over the world and across the political spectrum. After a days-long manhunt, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson has been apprehended as a suspect in the investigation.
Authorities have acknowledged the video of the bearded man as part of their ongoing investigation into the shooting. The FBI has not commented on whether David or the individual in the video is a person of interest in the case.
David promised to provide more explanation but said he would only speak “after silence and only to two.” He wrote: “I wish I could respond to everything coming in, but it’s not possible, so forgive me. There is a lot of rage directed at me but I promise you’ll understand when I speak and I eagerly await a return to silence.”
The incident has raised questions about crowd behaviour during crisis situations and the role of social media in rapidly spreading and interpreting footage of tragic events. Utah Valley University remains closed as the investigation continues, with classes and campus events suspended until Monday.
President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “Great, and even Legendary.” Kirk’s widow, Erika, has vowed to continue her husband’s conservative activism work through Turning Point USA.
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