The past weeks saw two brutal murders in the United States that not only shocked the American people but also the whole Western society. The stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on 22 August and the assassination of Charlie Kirk on 10 September have much in common: both were utterly meaningless and incomprehensible, both were carried out with inconceivable brutality, both generated fury and outrage across the majority of society, and both should—and will—entail serious consequences.
Iryna Zarutska, 23, fled Ukraine with her mother and two younger siblings in August 2022, hoping to start a new life in the United States after Russia invaded her homeland. She worked tirelessly to integrate and become a valuable member of society: she took English classes, found a job in a pizzeria, and helped neighbours with babysitting and dog walking. She loved her new life in America—until the night of 22 August, when she took a late-night train in Charlotte, North Carolina, and met her killer, Decarlos Brown Jr. The 34-year-old career criminal, arrested 14 times before and reportedly suffering from mental illness, stabbed Iryna in the neck before casually stepping off the train. Video footage shows him wandering through the carriage with blood dripping from his knife, while stunned passengers looked on.
The murder of Iryna Zarutska did not make headlines until 5 September. The reason is as outrageous as it is predictable to anyone who has followed US politics: mainstream media outlets refused to cover the case, while local Democrats tried to bury it. Charlotte’s Democrat mayor, Vi Lyles, even thanked ‘media partners and community members’ who chose not to repost or share the footage. When coverage became unavoidable, the whitewashing began. Wikipedia called it a ‘killing’, not a murder—unlike in the case of George Floyd, where it was explicitly labelled a murder. On ABC, actress Whoopi Goldberg excused the killer by citing his mental illness. CNN’s Van Jones lamented that the perpetrator was ‘hurting’ at the time of the crime. Outrageous, yes—but not surprising. A black career criminal murdering a young white woman is not something the progressive establishment is willing to condemn.
Then came 10 September. Charlie Kirk, one of the most influential conservative activists in the United States, founder of Turning Point USA and a key figure in Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, was shot in the neck while addressing students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He died in the hospital shortly after.
Kirk’s death shocked not only America but the entire conservative movement across the West. His efforts to engage in debate—even with the most radical leftists—were unique and irreplaceable. He proved that facts, conviction, and dialogue could win over an entire generation and counter the lies and false narratives of legacy media. Many accused him of being radical, but radicals do not debate—radicals assassinate. Kirk was first and foremost a devoted father, a strong Christian, and a committed conservative. He did not deserve to be executed in front of thousands of students.
But none of that mattered to Tyler Robinson, 22, who decided to take Kirk’s life because he had ‘had enough of his hatred.’ In a chilling message to his roommate—who was also his romantic partner and is transitioning—Robinson wrote: ‘Some hate can’t be negotiated out.’ Those words, drenched in malice, were his self-justification for silencing a man who lived by dialogue.
And in a bitter twist, I almost agree. Some hate truly cannot be negotiated. But it is not Kirk’s supposed ‘hate’—it is the hatred of the left that erupted in the wake of his murder. The outpouring of disgraceful, vile hostility towards Kirk’s memory and his mourning family cannot be ignored. Nurses, teachers, professors, authors, and students mocking the death of a father of two simply because they disagreed with his politics is morally abhorrent. As US Vice President JD Vance said, hosting a memorial episode of Kirk’s podcast: ‘There is no unity with the people who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s death.’ This was not confined to the United States: European TikTok, Reddit, and even Hungarian social media platforms filled with hateful comments celebrating Kirk’s assassination.
Yet these are not the views of the majority. They are the rage of a loud, aggressive minority who believe they speak for everyone. They do not. Normal people do not celebrate death. For ordinary Americans and Europeans, the murders of Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk were a turning point. They are furious, and they blame the left. They think they are the bad guys—which is, in these cases, pretty much true.
These two merciless killings are a watershed for the conservative movement. They are final warnings that change is overdue—both in policy and in how conservatives must respond to an increasingly aggressive far-left. Iryna’s death is the direct result of Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies. A man arrested 14 times should never have been free to murder her because a ‘voice’ told him to do so. Fortunately, the Trump administration and local Republican leaders have already begun reversing these disastrous policies, punishing negligent attorneys and preventing dangerous criminals from re-entering society so easily. Both President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi are right to demand the death penalty for Decarlos Brown Jr.
The same is true for Kirk’s killer. Prosecutors have already sought capital punishment for Tyler Robinson. That is the only just outcome. America and the wider Western world need two death penalties, and we need them as soon as possible.
The impact of Kirk’s death on Western conservatism is already clear. His name has become a rallying cry. From Tommy Robinson’s ‘Free Speech Festival’ in London to vigils outside US embassies across Europe, patriots are mourning Kirk while pledging to continue his mission. Those who publicly celebrated his murder—teachers, healthcare workers, academics—are facing consequences, many dismissed from their jobs. The message is unambiguous: the silent majority will no longer let an extremist minority terrorize society.
We must fight back. We must fight for Iryna. We must fight for Charlie.
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