Charlie Kirk murder: Wild conspiracy theories flood the internet including ‘strange hand signals’ and ‘explosions’ seen in clips

The assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university has shocked the world, as the hunt for his killer intensifies with a $100,000 reward for the capture of his assailant.

Yet, in the fray, the killing has also sparked wild conspiracy theories.

Kirk, 31, a father-of-two young children, was in front of 3000 people during an outdoor Q&A at Utah Valley University when he was shot in the neck. He was later pronounced dead at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem.

Just a day later, a number of wild conspiracy theories flooded the internet about his death, with footage and little-known information being bandied about online.

Plane theory

Following the shooting of Kirk, a social media post surfaced which appeared to suggest the perpetrator may have used a private plane to escape authorities.

Users tracked a private plane near Orem.

Taking to X, a user wrote: “Suspiciously 30 mins into the flight it drops off of ADS-B illegally and reappears headed back to Provo (airport in Utah) approx. an hour later.

“Why did this plane turn off its radar? Where is the shooter?”

Many online users have speculated the flight may be involved in the murder of Kirk. Despite the theory being debunked, many users are still tagging the FBI.

The owner of the private jet, named as Derek Maxfield, CEO of an online marketing company, has said himself and his family have been “unfairly impacted” by the rumours, according to US People magazine.

A user offered an explanation to the mystery.

“I may not have been a sniper, but I was a radar technician in the Air Force, and I have extensive experience with the airspace around Utah ... Just because that plane dropped off of radar, it doesn’t necessarily mean anything,” he wrote.

“There are quite a few mountain ranges in western and southern Utah that block the radar.

“A plane dropping off the ADS-B is not at all uncommon ... looking at the flight path, it appears to me it descended for a landing in Page, Arizona (many Utahns vacation in Lake Powell, right next to Page) and then ‘reappeared’ after having taken back off from that same airport.”

Sniper in the bush

A second shooter may have been involved in the murder, according to a number of social media sleuths.

One X user shared footage of the top floor of a building near the murder scene, with a shadowy figure appearing to be hidden in a bush.

It hasn’t been confirmed if a person was hiding in the bush.

The post reads: “Does this bush look suspicious to anyone? It lines up directly to where Charlie Kirk’s tent was and where he was shot.

“I was very hesitant to post this until I got other opinions on the matter. I spent hours going through photos and videos until I saw this.”

The photograph is exceptionally grainy, dividing the opinion of web sleuths.

Hand gestures

Another theory circulating online focuses on hand signals that can be seen in video of the shooting.

Two men who appear to be in Kirk’s security team can be seen standing behind him, with one appearing to adjust his hat as he holds his phone. The other is seen moving his arms.

Observers speculated the gestures could have something to do with the shooting.

Posting on X, one conspiracy theorist asked: “... and why are these two guys giving hand signals immediately before the shot? Both standing perfectly to the side of the bullet track.”

The FBI has not announced any connection between the gestures and the shooting, nor have any other investigating authorities.

The identities of the men haven’t been confirmed, but one social media user suggested one of them was Charlie’s close friend.

Ring switches finger

In another contested clip, observers claim they see a ring switching fingers after he was shot.

One user asked: “Why did Charlie Kirk’s ring visibly move from his ring finger to his pinkie finger after bullet impact?”

Another user asked: “I watched Charlie Kirk’s ring switch fingers as he was falling backwards. Explain that one.”

The clip suggests the shooting was faked.

One commentator claimed the switch occurred as a result of the technicalities of camera settings and video footage.

Others pointed out the ring in question is a semi-circle design that wasn’t tightly secured in one position. Kirk had been seen fiddling with the ring at many previous events.

Explosive device used

One theory circulating around the internet, purportedly shows an explosion in Kirk’s T-shirt.

The suggestion is that he was not killed via the assassin’s bullet. Instead, it was another kill device.

Sharing a clip to X, one user wrote: “LOOK CLOSE HERE. Conspiracy theories. This doesn’t look like a gunshot.

“This looks like an explosion inside his shirt.”

The clip shows the moment the bullet impacted Kirk’s neck.

Despite the suggestion, there is no official line of inquiry an explosive device was used in Kirk’s death.