SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — The death of Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist and close friend of President Donald Trump, has shocked the whole country. He was shot and killed at a college event in Utah. A frightening and very controversial picture has gone viral in the midst of all the grief and sympathy, causing a lot of anger on social media.
It is said that Google’s “Nano Banana” AI tool was used to make the 3D figurine in the picture. It shows the terrifying moment when the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA was shot in the neck while giving a speech in a tent at Utah Valley University.
A user on X uploaded a screenshot of the post and said, “Please report this account to X and the @FBI.” This is horrible and should not be allowed. Users who were frightened by the way the horrific occurrence was shown in the post have been very angry about it.
Many others on social media said they were disgusted and angry, calling the creator and those who liked the post “demonic” and “garbage human beings.” Some comments said things like “I’m done with these disgusting garbage human beings” and “WT* is wrong with people?” Another person said, “I can’t even share this again. You have to deal with these monsters with a lot of anger.
After a lot of reports and public concern, the X account that first shared the AI-generated image was quickly suspended. The event has also drawn back attention to a larger tendency of making fun of Kirk’s murder. Some TikTok videos have also been criticized for praising the shooting that killed him.
In the meantime, the police have made headway in their investigation. Tyler Robinson, 22, is the suspect and is now in police custody. Utah Governor Spencer Cox talked about the reasons behind the assassination at a press conference. He said that the police think Robinson “acted alone” and that his “hate” for Kirk’s political ideals and messages drove him.
Governor Cox said that a family member informed authorities that Robinson had “implied” that he would kill Kirk. The family member added that Robinson had talked about Kirk’s forthcoming visit to UVU at a previous meal and called Kirk “full of hate and spreading hate.”
The AI picture scandal and the ensuing inquiry show how divided politics are right now and how technology can make people react in extreme ways.