Almost exactly one year ago, on September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was speaking onstage at Utah Valley University when a crack splintered the air. A 31-year-old father of two was shot dead in front of millions.
Most of us remember where we were that day. But few know the behind-the-scenes story of what happened next. Spencer Cox does. The Utah governor was at the scene just hours after the shooting, and at the center of the effort to find the man responsible. He emerged as a powerful voice after the tragedy, calling on Americans to mend a politics that sometimes feels broken.
In an interview with our Peter Savodnik days later, Cox spoke about “which direction he thought Americans, and America, would choose” in the aftermath of the murder. Today, we know something about the answer: Kirk’s death was not the wake-up call some hoped it would be. Instead, the killing unleashed deranged conspiracy theories, fueled radicalization, and deepened the rage that threatens to define our politics. Which is why, as we approach the anniversary of the murder, it’s worth returning to what actually happened that day—and what Cox saw firsthand. That is the story he tells today in an exclusive excerpt from his new book, Off Ramp: How to Be a Peacemaker in an Age of Contempt. We’re honored to bring it to you today. —The Editors
“We need you. Immediately.”
I’d just sat down to lunch with my staff when my assistant entered the room and uttered those words.
When you’re governor, a weight sits on your shoulders every minute of every day. It’s one of the very first things we learn in Baby Governor School (the training newly elected governors receive from sitting governors): Tragedy will come for each of us when we least expect it.
From the tone of my assistant’s voice, I knew this was my turn.
I stepped out of the room, where my Highway Patrol security detail stood in the lobby. “Sir, there has been an incident at Utah Valley University. Charlie Kirk has been shot.”
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