“Charlie’s Law”
I would be a fool to stand here and continue with our platform as if the only thing that happened was an assassination. For most of us, it was much more than that. We are left stunned, broken, and scared for what the future holds.
Charlie Kirk led a life I was ALWAYS taught about at church. Back home, in my small town of Oak Grove, Mississippi, I was taught to lead by example. And Charlie did that. Not only did he do that, but he also inspired an entire planet. At 31 years old, think about that, would ya?
No, he and I did NOT see eye to eye on many things. As a gay father of three and husband, together for 19 years, NO, we did not see things through the same lens. But that right there, folks. THAT is what makes our great nation amazing.
And then, as he was living what I was always taught, he was brutally murdered in front of his children, wife, and everyone who loved him. His example may have been robbed from us for tomorrow; hearing his voice, seeing his dedication, not only to God, but to his family, his friends, and the world.
Since Charlie’s death, I have gone down the rabbit hole of mass shootings and correlated them with social media since 2022. The data is staggering, and it is OBVIOUSLY AVOIDABLE. The leaders of our states and country, alongside the creators of these social media platforms, MUST come together to create and PASS BY CONGRESS the laws helping to prevent these ego maniacs from having the ability to communicate, plan, launch, and celebrate such gruesome attacks on not only our lives but our God given FREEDOMS, liberties, and public security.
For the first time in my career, I have used A.I.: A collaboration to create a staggering and URGENT call to all of the leaders of our country. We MUST unite to eliminate the obvious. Social Media MUST BE held accountable to the havoc all of these platforms are causing.
Social Media, Political Violence & Mass Shootings — Update (Sept 2025)
Prepared for presentation by NolaPapa.com
Executive Summary
This briefing updates the previous report (2022→present) by linking it to breaking headlines and recent statistics that show a worrying overlap between online platforms and real-world political and mass violence. It highlights key recent events, national statistics, core mechanisms by which social media contributes to risk, and concrete societal actions to reduce harm.
Recent, high-profile developments (selected)
- Fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (Sept 2025) — digital evidence and social accounts were part of the investigation; the event has prompted large-scale public debate about political violence and exposed vulnerabilities in public events and online ecosystems.
- Ongoing reporting shows a continuing stream of mass-shooting incidents across the U.S.; datasets such as the Gun Violence Archive track hundreds of mass-shooting events each year.
Key statistics
- National gun deaths: Nearly 47,000 Americans died of gun-related injuries in 2023 (most recent CDC-sourced reporting aggregated by Pew Research and similar outlets).
- Mass-shooting incident tracking: Organizations like the Gun Violence Archive provide incident-level databases and interactive charts for 2022–2025, showing persistent frequency and the locations (schools, public places, workplaces).
How social media connects to violence (concise)
- Radicalization and community formation: niche groups and forums normalize violent ideology.
- Manifestos & signaling: attackers publish intent or manifestos on or via platforms, which can inspire others.
- Livestreaming and footage spread: platforms (and reposts) rapidly amplify attack footage, increasing harm and imitation risk.
- Algorithmic amplification: recommendation systems can reward sensational content and accelerate spread.
What society can do — immediate & structural actions
- Rapid cross-platform takedown + shared hashing of violent footage and manifestos (build on Christchurch hashing precedent).
- Algorithmic auditing and de-amplification: reduce recommendation weight for sensational violent content; prioritize authoritative context.
- Improve platform transparency and stronger enforcement of community standards (public transparency reports, independent oversight).
- Invest in threat detection and community-based early-warning systems that respect civil liberties and minimize bias.
- Public-health approach: media guidelines to limit sensational coverage, reduce “fame” for attackers, and treat contagion like an outbreak.
- Boost mental-health funding, community violence-interruption programs, and school/campus security without militarization.
- Protect press freedom and speech rights while enforcing consequences for direct calls to violence — clarify legal standards for platforms.
- Support victims: fund trauma response, rapid counseling, and victim assistance in affected communities.
Concrete steps for community organizations / presenters (practical)
- Require venue security screening and coordinate with local law enforcement for public events.
- Limit live-streaming of contentious events or use delay + moderation to prevent real-time spread of violence.
- Educate audiences about reporting suspicious online behavior and provide clear channels for tips.
- Advocate for local policies: safer-event grants, funding for threat assessment teams, and school safety resources.
Selected sources (representative — full citations available on request)
- Reuters coverage of Charlie Kirk killing and arrest (Sept 13, 2025).
- Gun Violence Archive — Mass Shooting reports and interactive charts (2022–2025).
- Pew Research / CDC aggregate reporting on gun deaths (2023 data).
- ICCT analysis of the Buffalo 2022 manifesto and platform propagation (2022 report).
- Reporters Without Borders / RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025 — press freedom threats and context.
Prepared by NolaPapa.com — For presentation use. For detailed source links and an extended bibliography, contact: erik@nolapapa.com