"Devil overplayed his hand": Candace Owens reacts to viral post comparing Charlie Kirk's death with "9/11"

Following the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, a highly charged reaction was sparked from his friend and fellow conservative, Candace Owens. The controversy started when X user @Cernovich posted that Charlie Kirk's death could be "the first case of mass PTSD," differentiating it from the scale of 9/11 but noting the immediate, graphic nature of the video footage circulating online.

Cernovich's post, which described the psychological ramifications of the killing as unique because of how quickly it went public through social media, received a sizable reaction. Candace Owens, who was a friend and an associate of Kirk at Turning Point USA, quoted the tweet with the response:

"9/10 will never be forgotten. The devil overplayed his hand."

Candace Owens's response has largely been construed as a defiant statement of resilience. Within hours, her comment went viral, and it was shared by thousands of Kirk's supporters.

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Candace Owens leads tributes for Charlie Kirk following assassination

The exchange takes place in the wake of national mourning and political unrest over Charlie Kirk's death. Candace Owens had previously honored Kirk in a YouTube live stream that drew more than 150,000 viewers at one time, causing the stream to crash. She called him an "amazing person," "my best friend," and "my brother," but admitted that she would "never unsee the footage of what I saw."

Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while hosting a debate at Utah Valley University. Officials have stated on record that it was a politically motivated incident of violence. Since the shooting, memorials have been conducted across the country, including at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, and outside the Turning Point USA HQ in Phoenix, Arizona.

The shooting has sent waves of security uncertainty in the form of swatting calls to multiple historically Black colleges and universities and the cancellation of some conservative events.

Ben Shapiro, another conservative commentator, had to postpone his appearance at the Ronald Reagan Library, just the day after the attack was reported. However, Shapiro denied the rumors of an outright cancellation of his tour, stating,

"I will be coming to college campuses, many of them this year...Charlie's voice is not silent. We're going to pick up that bloodstained microphone where Charlie left it."

Even among Kirk's ideological opposition, there was horror at the violent act.

"I didn't agree with any of his political opinions, but I think what happened to him was absolutely horrible," a student at LMU told Fox 11 LA.

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The police have detained Tyler Robinson as a suspect in Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting. According to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Robinson "is not cooperating with authorities" and has not confessed to the crime.

Edited by Diana George