Mystery man who appeared to celebrate shooting of Charlie Kirk claims he chanted ‘USA to create a distraction’

Kirk passed away earlier this week

Now somebody has come forward claiming to be them.

The right-wing political commentator Kirk was killed by a 22-year-old named Tyler Robinson who has been detained by local authorities.

The 31-year-old’s death has created shockwaves across the global political landscape, prompting tributes from the likes of Donald Trump and Keir Starmer.

The Turning Point USA founder was outspoken on a number of divisive issues such as immigration and LGTQIA rights, and was known for promoting false vaccine theories.

In the moments after Kirk was shot, one man was seen seemingly celebrating in the crowd.

Now, a man called Dave who claims to be the same person from the video, has said that he was cheering USA to create a distraction to try and 'save lives.

In a statement shared to X, Dave said: “When I heard a sharp crack at first I thought it might have been fireworks or a disruptive prank.

“I looked up to the horizon for smoke. When none appeared, I realized it must have been a firearm,” he said in a monotone voice, his eyes seeming to dart back and forth as if reading the statement as he stumbled over some of the words."

He added that he 'believed Charlie had been gravely injured' an 'instinctively checked the security team’s movement'.

He said: “I stood and shouted ‘USA,’ not as a provocation, but to project strength, encourage others, and create a distraction that might help calm panic or even save lives.”

Dave added that while he only a little familiar with Kirk's content, 'he would never wish to celebrate harm to anyone'.

In other news, a Secret Service worker has been placed on leave for 'celebrating' the death of Charlie Kirk.

Anthony Pough, who worked for the Secret Service, is said to have accused Charlie Kirk of "propagating racism" in a now deleted Facebook post.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service has already spoken out about Mr Pough's actions.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, they said: "The U.S. Secret Service will not tolerate behaviour that violates our code of conduct. This employee was immediately put on administrative leave, and an investigation has begun."

Pough's comments came after an official memo was issued to all Secret Service personnel in the days after Kirk's death.

As first reported by CBS News, Secret Service Director Sean Curran wrote to employees and asked them to be "focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem."

The full memo reads: "Let me be clear, politically motivated attacks in our nation are increasing - seemingly every day.

"The men and women of the Secret Service must be focused on being the solution, not adding to the problem.

"We swear an oath to those we protect to conduct ourselves with the highest standards of conduct on and off duty.

"When our actions draw public attention for the wrong reasons, we fall short of that duty and compromise the trust essential to fulfil our mission.

"We must operate every day without bias towards political affiliation. We owe it to ourselves and those we are sworn to protect. Any distractions, otherwise, will not be tolerated."

Charlie Kirk was one of the best known faces on America's political right.

The podcast and YouTube channels Kirk founded had tens of millions of followers, and the 31-year-old was best known for bringing more conservative views to college campuses where he would speak and engage with students.

It was at one of these events, at a university in Utah, where Kirk was shot and killed.

He leaves behind his wife Erika and two children.