Before I Go
An Update on Orem, Utah
The patch of grass at Utah Valley University where Charlie Kirk had been sitting—where his body fell after the shot—was soaked in blood. So was the concrete along the exit route. The spill was so extensive a professional cleanup crew had to be called in: a multi-stage chemical power wash was required to erase every evidence of an assassination in broad daylight, witnessed by 3,000 students.
Countless videos trending on TikTok insisted there had been no blood, pointing to the unstained hands of his security detail as proof.
After the FBI concluded its investigation, the outline in the grass faintly resembled the shape of his fallen body—a haunting reminder of the horror those who witnessed were still processing. Pavers were quickly laid to replace the rectangular lot of blood-soaked soil, shielding returning students from an eerie stretch of a familiar landscape.
In a matter of days, the pavers sparked speculation, fueling conspiracies that assumed it was all part of a cover-up. What were they hiding? Why the sudden construction? Theories spread like wildfire on X, spinning sinister conclusions about a crime scene altered so quickly. Few paused to consider a simpler explanation: once the investigation was over, that patch of land resembled a graveyard everyone had to cross on their way to class. It also had begun drawing in sleuths flocking to film and examine what remained.
The “cover-up,” in reality, was a considerate effort to protect students. But conspiracies are addictive—they need constant twists in order to keep curiosity piqued, so practical explanations are easily overlooked.
The pavers were just one of several item details I collected as counter to mounting online suspicions. My 24-hour stint in Utah was rushed and far from logical—I had a hundred things to do before leaving for Europe to celebrate Mike’s 50th birthday today. I jumped at the chance, because I know by now that firsthand accounts are the best way to cut through the noise when a story I care about feels misrepresented.
When the urge to spin a story outweighs the simple quest for truth—salacious or ordinary as it may be—we have problems.
