In the wake of the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus Wednesday, a clearer and more substantive timeline has been developing as officials gather additional information about the shooting and continue a manhunt for the shooter.

What happened Wednesday?

KTVX-TV reported that Kirk’s American Comeback Tour commenced at noon local time at Utah Valley University in Orem, which is about 10 minutes north of Provo and about 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City.

Mason said the individual they're after 'blended in well' with the university and 'appears to be of college age.'

The station said Kirk was hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” table in the UVU courtyard. As was typical for the TPUSA founder and his events on college campuses, Wednesday's event took place outside, and anyone was invited to debate him and ask questions. KTVX reported that around 3,000 people attended the event.

Around 12:20 p.m., Kirk — who was seated under a tent — was in the middle of a question-and-answer exchange when he was struck by a bullet, the New York Times reported. Kirk was hit in the neck, blood gushed from the wound, and he slumped from his seated position. As those in attendance scattered and took cover, Kirk was rushed to a local hospital.

Charlie Kirk speaks at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10 in Orem, Utah. Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

At 12:42 p.m., UVU sent an alert stating that a suspect was in custody and police were investigating, KTVX said.

Photo by Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images

By 1:10 p.m., a UVU spokesperson confirmed that Kirk was shot but said his condition was unknown, KTVX noted, adding that the spokesperson said a suspect actually was not in custody.

At 1:37 p.m., UVU announced that the campus was closed and classes were canceled until further notice, KTVX reported, adding that all students were ordered to leave the school immediately.

At 2:40 p.m., President Donald Trump confirmed that Kirk was dead, KTVX said. Trump announced the following on Truth Social, "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"

The Associated Press said a single shot was fired from a rooftop. UVU spokeswoman Ellen Treanor told the Wall Street Journal, "We think the shot was fired from the Losee Center building, which is about 200 yards from the courtyard where Charlie Kirk was speaking."

Photo by Kadri Suat Celik/Anadolu via Getty Images

FBI Director Kash Patel later on Wednesday posted the following updates on X, after which the AP complained on its live feed that "it wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone remained in custody, or if the shooter was still at large as law enforcement provided evolving and difficult-to-reconcile information."

— (@)

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said at a news conference Thursday morning that "a couple of persons of interest were located" in the shooting aftermath. However, after officials interviewed them, Mason said they were cleared of suspicion and were released. Mason urged the public "to be patient with the investigative process" and said the pair unjustly "faced scrutiny" and "threats" and "don't deserve that harassment."

KTVX said George Zinn was the first individual taken into custody and Zachariah Qureshi was the second individual taken into custody; the station echoed Mason's report, saying both of them were released. However, the New York Times, citing officials, said Zinn was booked and accused of obstruction of justice.

By 7:54 p.m., the Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed that a manhunt was under way for the shooting suspect, KTVX said.

What has happened so far Thursday?

At Thursday morning's news conference, Mason said Kirk's body was "moved to the state office of the medical examiner" on Wednesday night and that "we'll continue to facilitate movements to get him home today with his family."

Mason also announced some "breakthroughs" in the investigation.

He said officials were able to track the shooting suspect's movements starting at 11:52 a.m. Wednesday when the individual arrived on campus — and all the way through "stairwells" and to the roof "across from the shooting location." Mason said the individual "jumped off" the building and "fled" from the campus and "into a neighborhood."

Mason added that investigators spoke to people in the neighborhood to see if any of them have doorbell cameras.

He also emphasized that "we have good video" of the individual in question but that it won't be released "at this time." Mason said investigators are using technology to identify the shooting suspect and that "we will catch this individual."

Around 10 a.m. local time Thursday, the FBI in Salt Lake City posted the following on X:

— (@)

Robert Bohls, FBI special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City Field Office, added during Thursday morning's news conference that investigators "recovered" what they believe "is the weapon" used in Kirk's assassination. Bohls said it's a "high-powered, bolt-action rifle" found in a "wooded area" and that an FBI lab is analyzing it.

Bohls also said a "footwear impression, palm print, and forearm imprints" are being analyzed as well. He also said members of the public can submit their own "video or images" related to the shooting to the agency's digital media website — www.fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting — or call 800-CALL-FBI.

Mason said the individual they're after "blended in well" with the university and "appears to be of college age."

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Utah officials deliver update on Charlie Kirk assassination investigation, security at event

Gov. Spencer Cox (R) and representatives of multiple law enforcement agencies in Utah held a press conference on Wednesday evening to deliver an update on the ongoing investigation into the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The officials confirmed that they "were working together" with Charlie Kirk's private security team.

'At this point there is no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved.'

"He has his team. They do this all over the country. We all know that. This is not uncommon for them. ... I was coordinating with his lead security guy. So yeah, we were working together," Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long said in the press conference.

Trump ordered all flags to be lowered to half-mast in mourning for Charlie Kirk until Sunday at 6:00pm Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Chief Long expressed his condolences for Kirk's family and said that this is "a police chief's nightmare."

Long confirmed that there were six campus police officers working the event, which was estimated to have "over 3,000" attendees.

Police arrested and booked a "suspect" who later was confirmed not to match the description of the shooter. However, this person has been booked for obstruction of justice by Utah Valley Police Department.

Officials also stated that the suspected shooter was still at large. FBI Director Kash Patel later posted to X that a "subject" who had been "in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement."

Officials said that there is, at this time, "no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved."

Officials said the footage they have is from CCTV video, which a spokesperson indicated is of low quality. When asked what they know about the suspected shooter, another spokesperson said that they know that the suspect is dressed in "all dark clothing."

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Career criminal, 32, allegedly beats 76-year-old man to death at Chicago bus stop. But he's reportedly just getting started.

A 32-year-old career criminal allegedly beat to death a 76-year-old man at a Chicago bus stop Monday night, WLS-TV reported.

But his night of crime reportedly was only beginning.

The station noted that he has a lengthy criminal record spanning nearly two decades.

Surveillance video shows two people standing at a bus stop near 95th and Halsted Streets on the city's south side, the station said.

WLS noted that the silent clip shows the 76-year-old man hitting the 32-year-old suspect, but it's unclear what led to that altercation. However, the 32-year-old retaliates, punching the 76-year-old and shoving him to the ground, the station said.

The station added that it paused the video at that point because what follows "is too disturbing," noting that the 32-year-old goes on to "beat and kick the victim multiple times, before eventually walking away."

WLS said Chicago police responded to the area around 9:15 p.m., found the 76-year-old victim on the ground with apparent trauma to the head, and took him to a hospital, where he later died.

With that — according to a police report the station said it obtained — the same suspect carjacked an SUV from a nearby McDonald's.

A 60-year-old grandmother told WLS she was in the restaurant when the suspect entered her vehicle while her grandchildren — a 3-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy — were in the backseat. The station said the suspect threatened to shoot the children and ordered them out of the SUV.

WLS, citing the police report, said the suspect took off in the green Kia Telluride. However, the SUV's owner told the station she tracked the vehicle's location through the girl's iPad still inside it.

Soon the suspect crashed the SUV in Schererville, Indiana, and police arrested the driver, the station said. Schererville is about 35 minutes southeast of the initial crime scene on the south side of Chicago.

WLS said it's not naming the suspect because he hasn't yet been charged with a crime in the case, but the station noted that he has a lengthy criminal record spanning nearly two decades.

Iryna Zarutska’s name should shame the woke

The brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska on a Charlotte train shocked the city and the nation. Yet, the reaction from Mayor Vi Lyles revealed something deeper — and more troubling — about the worldview now shaping our institutions.

Instead of calling it what it was — a violent crime committed by “a mentally deranged lunatic” and “well-known career criminal,” as President Trump described the suspect — Lyles chose to label it a “tragic event.” The tragedy, she suggested, was not the victim’s death so much as society’s failure to provide resources for the killer.

We cannot blame 'the system.' We cannot blame God. Facing consequences for our actions is not oppression — it is humanizing.

That rhetorical move matters. It echoes the same radical philosophy that has taken over higher education and increasingly influences our politics. In this worldview, criminals are not moral agents. They are victims of circumstance.

The death of free will

As a humanities professor, I have heard this refrain for decades. Subjects meant to explore the human condition and the pursuit of wisdom have been hijacked by an ideology that insists “marginalized” individuals cannot be held responsible for their actions.

The logical problem should be obvious. If the “oppressed” are not responsible for their actions, then they lack free will. That is a dehumanizing philosophy. It strips away moral agency and reduces people to products of “the system.”

Yet, radical professors advance this philosophy because it props up political causes that would collapse under scrutiny. Their favorite tool is the fallacy of appealing to pity: “Don’t hold me accountable, I had a hard life.” But if failure is always the system’s fault, then so is success. The DEI professor will tell you that bad outcomes come from oppression — and good outcomes come from privilege. Individual responsibility vanishes.

Crime 'happens' to the criminal

In this view, crime happens to the criminal. The system, not the sinner, makes the choice. The remedy? Education and therapy. Punishment for evil is rejected outright.

Take two examples.

First, Chicago’s Mayor Brandon Johnson (D). Listen to him describe gun violence and you’d think guns sprout legs and walk into the city from other states. Who are the human beings pulling the triggers? That question is avoided, because the system supposedly forced them into crime.

Second, watch the recent Jubilee video featuring Patrick Bet-David. Anti-capitalist students invoked the plight of the single mother. To hear them tell it, single motherhood simply “happens.” No choices, no responsibility. Just victims of capitalism who have no choice but to work four jobs. The notion that having unprotected sex outside marriage is a choice is brushed aside.

This isn’t compassion, let alone justice. It’s a simple refusal to acknowledge reality.

Complaints against God

Charlotte’s racial equity policies rest on this same rejection of free will. And beneath that rejection lies something even deeper: complaints against God Himself.

Christianity teaches that God created men and women with real differences and that He governs the circumstances into which we are born. Radical critics call this unfair. Why can’t Bet-David be a single mother? Why should people be born rich or poor? Why does God still hold us accountable?

Maxiphoto via iStock/Getty Images

The apostle Paul anticipated this very objection in Romans 9:19: “Then why does God still find fault? For who resists His will?” The ultimate complaint is against divine providence.

But denying free will is absurd. Many born into hard circumstances have learned to be wise and seek God. Many born into privilege have chosen evil. Our choices define us.

The humanizing truth

We cannot blame “the system.” We cannot blame God. Facing consequences for our actions is not oppression — it is humanizing. It reminds us that we have the dignity of free will and the responsibility to choose between good and evil.

And here is the one solution the radical professor will never offer: There is forgiveness for our sin, freely given in Christ. That is the antidote to a culture that excuses evil and denies accountability.

Crooks try getaway after daytime smash-and-grab heist of Rolex watches in downtown Chicago — but time runs out on them

Six men have been arrested and charged in connection with a daytime smash-and-grab heist of Rolex watches in downtown Chicago amid President Donald Trump's plan to send in the National Guard to help lower the city's crime rate.

CWBChicago reported that the robbery took place Friday at a Rolex store on the city's Magnificent Mile. The men approached display windows and used hammers to smash their way in to steal the watches. The thieves were able to steal five Rolexes valued at $170,500 before running to a getaway car.

'Organized retail thieves need to understand we take these crimes extremely seriously and will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.'

But Chicago police responded to the scene and tracked down the suspects with a police helicopter. The suspects fled toward the south side and crashed into a parked car after exiting an expressway. Despite the robbers running away on foot after the crash, police were able to apprehend the men and recover four of the five watches.

Victory Banks, 33; Will Brown, 21; Aldonte Goodman, 22; Anthony Hampton, 24; Dalvin Johnson, 31; and Armon Williams, 18, were charged with theft by unauthorized control of property exceeding $100,000 and $500,000, criminal damage to property between $500 and $10,000, and burglary. All of the charges are felonies.

Banks was not listed in the Cook County jail population when Blaze News checked Monday. But Williams, Goodman, Brown, Hampton, and Johnson were still listed. The hearings for Williams, Goodman, and Brown are set for Thursday; the hearing for Johnson is set for Tuesday, and the hearing for Hampton was set for Monday.

CWBChicago said court records show Johnson already was on pretrial release for another burglary case at the time of the smash-and-grab.

"Organized retail thieves need to understand we take these crimes extremely seriously and will prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law," Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said in a statement. "These are far from victimless crimes, and I applaud the Chicago Police Department for their swift work bringing these offenders to justice."

Chicago Alderman Raymond Lopez (D) has suggested the National Guard protect the tourist areas of the city so Chicago police "don't have to babysit the Bean or Buckingham Fountain for eight hours a day. Our officers can return to their districts [and] answer the thousands of 911 calls logged but never answered."

Julio Rosas/Blaze News

High-end stores on the Magnificent Mile have experienced daytime smash-and-grab robberies even with pedestrians and police officers nearby. While not as high during the Labor Day weekend, a total of 21 people were shot, with seven of them killed this weekend.

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Anger spreads over homeowner charged with assault after fighting alleged intruder; Canadian cops double down: 'Don't engage'

As Blaze News recently reported, a Canadian homeowner has been charged with aggravated assault after fighting and injuring an armed male who allegedly broke into his Lindsay, Ontario, residence in the middle of the night last month.

Amid the growing outrage — including from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who said "something is broken" in the system when one is punished for self-defense — the chief of the Kawartha Lakes Police Service fired off a scolding message to the public on Facebook, calling the criticism against cops "unjust and inaccurate."

'But as it stands, we know the best defense for most people is to comply.'

Chief Kirk Robertson added that the "law requires that any defensive action be proportionate to the threat faced. This means that while homeowners do have the right to protect themselves and their property, the use of force must be reasonable given the circumstances."

Well, things are only getting more bizarre as the issue grows hotter up north.

Turns out the break-in suspect was armed with a crossbow while the homeowner was armed with a knife, the Toronto Star reported, citing court documents.

Photo by BfdF/RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images

The break-in suspect — 41-year-old Michael Breen — is no stranger to law enforcement, either. The Star said in addition to the list of charges against him in connection with the Lindsay incident, recent court records show other outstanding charges against Breen, including illegal use of a credit card. The paper added that Breen also allegedly failed to appear in court, after which a warrant for his arrest was issued June 19.

Meanwhile, those who know the homeowner — Jeremy McDonald — told the Star he's "distraught about" the charges against him.

Jesse Kalabic — who operates Thirteen Tattoo shop in the unit directly below McDonald’s second-floor apartment — added to the paper that McDonald is "concerned" and that "it’s become a very big issue now, and he doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.”

What's more, Kalabic revealed to the Star an additional traumatic element for McDonald, saying the break-in suspect "went through his [young] daughter’s bedroom window. Luckily, she wasn’t there.”

Kalabic added to the paper it’s unfortunate that McDonald — who works in construction — is facing charges when he didn't start the altercation. Kalabic also told the Star he hopes the government will investigate legal reforms concerning the level of force one can use in self-defense that “doesn’t leave the burden on the homeowner, who should always be seen as the victim.”

A pair of Canadian writers for Blaze News — Joe MacKinnon and Andrew Chapados — couldn't agree more.

"The fact that this homeowner was charged for non-lethally confronting an intruder not only is an indictment of the Canadian legal system but also serves notice to would-be criminals: Your victims are powerless under the law to take action against you. If a thug breaks into your home through your daughter's window, you should be criminally charged for not putting him six feet under the ground," MacKinnon told Blaze News.

Chapados added to Blaze News that "while sentiments from the premier are nice, federal laws need to change. In the meantime, Doug Ford needs to pressure the attorney general and Crown not to pursue charges against the homeowner."

As concern and anger over the issue spread throughout Canada, another recent headline out of Ontario has only underscored the public's frustration with police.

Amid a pair of violent home invasions — one that claimed a homeowner's life — the chief of the York Regional Police actually told homeowners that if their residences are invaded, “don’t engage unless absolutely necessary," the Star reported in a separate story.

“In the unlikely event that you find yourself the victim of a home invasion, we are urging citizens not to take matters into their own hands,” Chief Jim MacSween said. “While we don’t want homeowners to feel powerless, we urge you to call 911 and do everything you can to keep yourself and loves ones safe until police arrive and be the best witness possible. This could mean locking yourself in a room away from the perpetrators, hiding, fleeing the home, but don’t engage unless absolutely necessary.”

The Star said MacSween sidestepped questions about politicians such as Ford who called for stronger self-defense laws in the wake of the Lindsay incident.

“The premier can make his own statement and his own mind up about that,” MacSween noted, according to the paper. “What I would say is as a police service, we’ll follow the laws as they’re written; if the laws change, we’ll change with the laws.”

The Star said the chief soon added: “But as it stands, we know the best defense for most people is to comply.”

As you might guess, commenters ripped MacSween just like they blasted the Kawartha Lakes Police Service after the Lindsay break-in:

"You just gave criminals a free pass," one commenter said.
"Instead of telling homeowners to 'comply,' why don't you tell criminals that they will be tossed into prison [with] no chance of bail or parole and the key thrown away??????" another commenter wondered.
"This clown is ridiculous. When seconds count, the cops are minutes away," another commenter stated. "When a criminal enters my dwelling, my home, my family's safe place, he/she/it forfeits his/her/zems life. The criminals can comply with the law and not enter my home."
"Fire this coward immediately," another commenter declared.

MacSween's sentiments mirror a directive last year from a Toronto police official, who told residents amid a spike in car thefts that they should leave their car keys at their front doors so car thieves don't harm them.

“To prevent the possibility of being attacked in your home, leave your fobs at the front door because they are breaking into your home to steal your car; they don’t want anything else," Cst. Marco Ricciardi said, according to City News Toronto. "A lot of them that they’re arresting have guns on them, and they are not toy guns. They are real guns. They’re loaded.”

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Video: Texas homeowner opens fire on 'Camaro crooks' trying to hot-wire his car in middle of night — and sends them running

Ring camera video caught the moment a Texas homeowner opened fire on what police are calling a pair of "Camaro crooks" who recently tried to hot-wire the homeowner's car in the middle of the night.

Fort Worth Police Officer Buddy Calzada spoke with KDFW-TV and explained what happened amid the aggravated robbery in a "quiet neighborhood" around 1:50 a.m. Aug. 15.

'The homeowner is aware of what's taking place, comes outside to protect his property, and a gunfight ensues.'

"You see a white Camaro sitting in the street with black stripes over it," Calzada told the station. "We know they are driving that vehicle, and they're getting out to steal a Camaro."

Video shows two individuals — at least one of them holding a gun — wearing dark hoodies and dark clothing approaching a car parked in a driveway. Calzada told KDFW that "they've got a computer device" they're using to try to "hot-wire" the car.

Video then shows one of the individuals removing the car's driver-side window and placing it on the ground — but the Ring camera notifies the homeowner "that something's going on out there," Calzada added to the station.

"The homeowner is aware of what's taking place, comes outside to protect his property, and a gunfight ensues," the officer told the station.

"They're firing back and forth, you can actually hear it as well," Calzada added to KDFW. "Fortunately, nobody was hurt or hit in this situation." Video shows the two crooks speeding away from the scene in the white Camaro.

Calzada told the station that police want those who have information about the would-be car thieves to step up and help "stop these Camaro crooks."

Calzada added to KDFW that the white Camaro they used is "a sporty-looking Chevy Camaro with racing stripes on the hood, on the top, and down the back."

"Somebody knows these individuals in that vehicle who are committing these crimes," the officer noted to the station.

Those with information can call Det. Brian Raynsford at 817-392-4469, KDFW said.

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Police charge man and woman in connection with Scottish axe girl incident

Police Scotland has charged a man and a woman in connection with the young, axe-wielding Scottish girl who went viral online.

In late August, a 12-year-old Scottish girl was charged with possessing weapons after online rumors swirled that she was fending off a migrant man. She was seen brandishing an axe and a large knife on video.

The following week, both the accused immigrant and an alleged witness spoke out, providing conflicting accounts of the events in St Ann Lane, Dundee, Scotland.

Now, police have laid subsequent charges.

'They are thankful that everyone now knows the truth.'

In a statement to Blaze News, Police Scotland said, "Following extensive enquiries, a man and a woman have been charged in connection with an incident in St Ann Lane in Dundee, which was reported around 7:40 p.m. on Saturday, 23 August, 2025."

The statement added, "The circumstances will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal," otherwise known as Scotland's public prosecutor.

Police Scotland also said the 12-year-old girl who was previously charged for "being in possession of offensive weapons" will be referred to the Scottish Children's Reporter Administration, a government body that decides whether a child needs legal intervention from the state.

"Members of the public are again urged not to share misinformation about this incident or speculate on the circumstances," the statement concluded.

The new charges seemingly confirm allegations made in a witness testimony, as well as claims made online by a reporter who claims to have been in communication with the 12-year-old's family.

— (@)

Fatos Ali Dumana, the accused 21-year-old Bulgarian immigrant, had previously told the Daily Mail, "If I did hurt the girl, why didn't the police arrest me? They have done nothing to me."

He added, "They saw from the CCTV cameras from Farmfoods that she was stopping me go on my way to the shop."

Dumana also alleged that another bystander witnessed him being attacked and labeled a "f**king migrant."

"I did not hit them. I am a human, not an animal," he added.

At the same time, a TikTok user named Mayah, 13, said in a video testimony that she witnessed the incident personally. Mayah said she was with two sisters, Ruby, 13, and Lola, 12, the latter of whom was allegedly subjected to inappropriate remarks from a strange man.

As the altercation escalated, the alleged witness claimed that the man's sister attacked Ruby, causing head injuries and sending her to the hospital with a concussion.

"She has a severe concussion and swelling inside of her head," Mayah said.

It was at that point Lola allegedly brandished the weapons in an effort to protect her sister.

Neither Dumana's nor Mayah's testimonies have benefited from any further proof from witnesses, CCTV, or evidence from police, but an independent reporter — who says he has spoken with the family — now says he has concrete evidence to go along with the newly laid charges.

A reporter going by the online moniker Aesthetica claims to have been in contact with Lola's family and even to have helped her mother, Elaine Thomson, start a fundraiser.

Aesthetica told Blaze News exclusively that Police Scotland "confirmed to the family" that "Fatos Ali Dumana and his sister were the two people charged."

Police Scotland said they had "nothing further to add" when asked by Blaze News for the names, ages, and/or nationalities of the two adults who were charged. They also neither confirmed nor denied if Dumana was the man who was charged.

Blaze News also reached out to Dumana for comment about the alleged charges and the claims made by Aesthetica, but did not receive a reply.

Image provided to Blaze News by 'Aesthetica' on X

Reporter Aesthetica provided an alleged hospital document to Blaze News, purported to be from Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, Scotland. The document is an attempt to prove that Ruby sought medical aid from injuries stemming from the altercation.

The document is addressed to a person with the alleged last name of Ruby and Lola. It shows treatment was provided for a "diagnosis" of a "head injury — concussion."

The photo also shows the examination was done to a "female, accompanied by mum," with a head injury again listed. The document said the patient attended the emergency room at 8:11 p.m. on August 23, 2025. This would be approximately 31 minutes following the incident described by police. The patient was discharged at 9:44 p.m.

"The hospital document was sent to Elaine Thomson, Lola and Ruby's mother, which was sent to [Mayah's mother], who sent it to me," Aesthetica explained to Blaze News.

The family has declined to speak publicly, out of fear of public backlash and for their own safety, according to Aesthetica. However, the reporter told Blaze News that the family is "relieved that their names have finally been cleared."

He added, "They are thankful that everyone now knows the truth and that they've been telling the truth the entire time."

The fundraiser has garnered approximately $120,000 at the time of this writing.

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Locked up for a joke. It can’t happen here ... can it?

A comedian lands at Heathrow and finds himself met by officers as though he posed a terrorist threat. His offense? A social media joke about trans people. He’s released on bail on the condition he doesn’t post on X.

Another man prays silently outside the “safe zone” of an abortion clinic and is hauled off, given a two-year conditional discharge, and fined £9,000 (just over $12,000).

We hope Britain pulls up from its nosedive, but let’s not delude ourselves. America faces the same temptations.

A third man waves the Union Jack at a pro-Palestinian march in England — only to be arrested. Reuters quickly ran interference: not for the flag, they said, but for a “racially aggravated public order offence” and “homophobic abuse.” As if that makes it better.

And we’re still not mentioning the Islamic child-rape scandal that grows worse with every new revelation. The United States watches Britain collapse into a kind of Reformation-era persecution, this time in the name of Islam, paganism, and sexual license. Americans shake their heads, maybe reassure themselves: We fought a revolution to escape this. Charles II jailed Christians. Charles III praises Islam. And we have the First Amendment. Case closed.

Not so fast. We may be on the same road. Once you begin policing speech to protect feelings, the end point looks very much like the UK. And we have plenty of warning signs.

The university test case

Universities may be the clearest early indicator. Professors tell us every profession must “look like” society — except their own. If a field is 97% male, they call it systemic bias. But in the academy itself, where atheists and leftists dominate, they see no problem.

The numbers don’t lie. At Arizona State University, a December 2024 survey found just 19 Republicans among 544 faculty members. At the University of Arizona, only eight Republicans out of 369. Entire departments lacked a single Republican. A 2023 Harvard Crimson study found only 2.5% of Harvard faculty identify as conservative. If any other profession looked this skewed, professors would scream about bias. In their case, they call it “normal.”

And the consequences? They’ll defend freedom of speech for burning an American flag. Burn a trans flag, and suddenly you’ve committed a hate crime. That is one step removed from Graham Linehan’s arrest in the UK for an X post.

Censorship in practice

Students already know what this means. A 2022 FIRE survey found they self-censor in class. They parrot leftist slogans on gender and race, not because they believe them, but because they want the grade. We are teaching them to lie to advance. No one is being asked to confess Christ; they are being asked to confess Ibram Kendi and John Money.

I’ve seen it firsthand. At ASU’s Honors College, faculty blocked Charlie Kirk, Dennis Prager, and Robert Kiyosaki from speaking, smearing them as “white supremacists.” That label alone was enough to push the event off campus. These professors weren’t interested in argument. They wanted silence.

Blaze Media illustration

Truth vs. lies

How do they justify it? With “hate crimes.” Not crimes that incite violence, but crimes of opinion. Disagree with LGBTQ ideology? That’s hate. Straight to jail. Professors sleep well at night because we’ve accepted their framework: society divided into oppressors and oppressed. Bad outcomes aren’t the result of choices, but of systemic injustice. Victims must be coddled, even at the expense of truth.

Once you accept that, feelings erase the First Amendment.

We need a spine. Sexual sins are real and destructive. Abortion ends a life. A comedian may say this through jokes; a philosopher may say it through essays. Either way, it’s the truth. The mob can gnash its teeth, plug its ears, strip away free speech, and jail comedians, but reality doesn’t change.

We hope Britain pulls up from its nosedive, but let’s not delude ourselves. America faces the same temptations. We must pray for the end of abortion, speak plainly about the damage sexual ideology inflicts on children, and reject the false frame of “oppressors and oppressed.” The real categories are truth and lies. Choose wisely, while you still can.

Comedy writer arrested at London airport for criticizing 'psychotic crossdressers'

Law enforcement in the United Kingdom appears to have difficulty clamping down on imported rape gangs but is quick to make arrests for thought-crimes such as expressing a love for bacon within earshot of a future mosque, unfurling the British flag, singing gospel music in public, praying silently for aborted babies, and, in the case of Irish comedy writer Graham Linehan, criticizing trans activists.

Following his trip to the United States, Linehan, the co-creator of the television program "Father Ted" and creator of "The IT Crowd," was greeted at London's Heathrow Airport by five armed police officers.

'I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist.'

The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed to Blaze News that Linehan was arrested by the MPS Aviation Unit on suspicion of inciting violence.

The comedy writer noted on his Substack that police escorted him to a private area and told him he was "under arrest for three tweets."

Linehan indicated that "in a country where pedophiles escape sentencing, where knife crime is out of control, where women are assaulted and harassed every time they gather to speak, the state had mobilized five armed officers to arrest a comedy writer" for the following tweets:

an April 19 tweet where he captioned a photograph of a trans-activist protest, "A photo you can smell."
a follow-up to the smelly protest tweet where he clarified for the benefit of a critic, "I hate them. Misogynists and homophobes. F**k them."
an April 20 tweet where he wrote, "If a trans-identified male is in a female-only space, he is committing a violent, abusive act. Make a scene, call the cops and if all else fails, punch him in the balls."

"When I first saw the cops, I actually laughed. I couldn't help myself. 'Don't tell me! You've been sent by trans activists,'" wrote Linehan. "The officers gave no reaction and this was the theme throughout most of the day. Among the rank-and-file, there was a sort of polite bafflement. Entirely professional and even kind, but most had absolutely no idea what any of this was about."

The comedy writer noted that after taking a nap in a locked cell, he was hauled before an officer, who grilled him about his tweets.

Photo by Krisztian Elek/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

"Eventually, a nurse came to check on me and found my blood pressure was over 200 — stroke territory," wrote Linehan. "The stress of being arrested for jokes was literally threatening my life! So I was escorted to [accident and emergency], where I write this now after spending about eight hours under observation."

Linehan indicated he was ultimately freed on bail on the conditions that he does not go on X and will show up to another police interview in October.

The writer concluded:

I was arrested at an airport like a terrorist, locked in a cell like a criminal, taken to hospital because the stress nearly killed me, and banned from speaking online — all because I made jokes that upset some psychotic crossdressers. To me, this proves one thing beyond doubt: the UK has become a country that is hostile to freedom of speech, hostile to women, and far too accommodating to the demands of violent, entitled, abusive men who have turned the police into their personal goon squad.

"On Monday, 1 September at 13:00hrs officers arrested a man at Heathrow Airport after he arrived on an inbound American Airlines flight," a police spokeswoman told Blaze News. "The man in his 50s was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence. This is in relation to posts on X."

"After being taken to police custody, officers became concerned for his health and he was taken to hospital. His condition is neither life-threatening nor life-changing," continued the spokeswoman. "He has now been bailed pending further investigation."

The spokeswoman indicated the officers were armed but did not draw their weapons at any point during the arrest.

This is hardly Linehan's first run-in with Britain's thought police.

The BAFTA-winning comedy writer was charged with harassment and with allegedly breaking a trans-identifying man's phone in April. His trial in that case is reportedly set to begin this month.

Vice President JD Vance noted earlier this year that free speech in the United Kingdom "is in retreat."

"The entire collective West — our transatlantic relationship, our NATO allies, certainly the United States under the Biden administration — got a little too comfortable with censoring rather than engaging with a diverse range of opinions," Vance said during his visit to the U.K. last month. "I just don't want other countries to follow us on what I think was a very dark path under the Biden administration."

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