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It's early in the investigation, and we don't know the details yet. But it appears that whoever shot Charlie Kirk was not just some emotionally disturbed fool. A single shot from 200 yards hit dead center. Little to no evidence left at the scene. He disappeared before anyone knew what happened. So we're not sure yet, but it appears that the shooter was a professional. Which brings a question to my mind.
Professionals get paid. Who paid him? Who, exactly? I don't mean "left-wing activists" or whatever. Who, precisely, paid him?
Charlie Kirk was almost certainly the most important person on the political right in this country. If you wanted to do real, long-term damage to the Republican party, this would be a very good way to do it. Somebody chose their target well. Somebody knew what they were doing. And it appears that that somebody hired a professional who also knew what he was doing.
I don't care all that much who the assassin is. But I care a great deal who paid him. I would love to know.
Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps this was a random left-wing lunatic who got incredibly lucky.
But if he really was a pro, I want to know who paid him.
I suspect we may find the assassin at some point. But I'd bet my house that we'll never find out who paid him.
We'll see...
Discussion (72)
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It seems to me it could be “both”. The guy could be an extremest lefty nut-job, but also a guy who spent inordinate amounts of time at the gun range practicing kill shots from long range.
It doesn’t mean he wasn’t paid, but it doesn’t strike me as necessarily the case. Of course you’re correct—he was not the random lefty nut-job who decided on a whim to make a name for himself. There was very careful planning.
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200 yards with a sighted-in long gun is the equivalent of a gimmie putt in golf. If you can't hit that shot, you probably have difficulty predicting which end the bullet will come out from.
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Perhaps something in between John Wick and a target of opportunity lone wolf.
That shot can be made by anyone without a neuromuscular disease with a well under $1k scoped bolt action rifle and a tiny bit of practice.
Aimed center of head and hit neck is less accurate than the Butler shooter with an AR at a similar distance and under more pressure.
Was the shooter a member of a group who would long ago have been wiped out Waco-style if they were Christian instead of leftist? If so, do the other members and funders suffer criminal liability? You know the left will deny that even a hypothetical group called the "Kill Charlie Kirk Gun Club" was a criminal conspiracy.
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They found the gun and according to them, they have good video of him. He blended in with everybody else. That's what I got from the captions on Fox News after the press conference this morning.
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Hi Doc,
I share your perspective. If the shooter was a hired gun, we’ll probably never trace the money far enough to uncover the source. I’m assuming a high level of professionalism on both sides—funds passing through multiple layers before reaching the shooter, with no direct contact.
Regarding the shot itself, I have mixed feelings. A 200‑meter hit is a medium‑range shot for an average soldier, and back in my day—when dinosaurs still roamed the earth—most could manage it with iron sights. Today, with superior firearms and advanced optics, it wouldn’t even require a dedicated sniper; a modest amount of training would make it relatively easy. The real challenge is shooting under pressure, and he managed to do just that.
What I do see is a degree of planning. This was a single shot aimed at a single target (whether he would have kept firing after a miss is unknown). Considerations such as angle of attack, distance, a usable elevated platform, ingress and egress routes, and familiarity with the area all point to premeditation. An average “Joe” could theoretically pull it off, but it seems unlikely.
I’m confident we’re combing through every possible lead—traffic‑camera footage (unless deliberately avoided), phone videos, access logs for the building (especially the roof, which is likely a secured zone), and all other investigative avenues. My hope is that we locate the perpetrator. Like you, I don’t expect much beyond that.
May God be with Charlie’s family, his friends, and our country. It feels as though we’ve reached a political crossroads.
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