T.J. Shope, a Republican elected to the Arizona State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 16th Senate District, posted a series of statements on social media on September 10, 2025, regarding the death of Charlie Kirk.
In his first post at 19:18 UTC, Shope wrote, “I join the countless others in offering prayers for @charliekirk11… what’s happening today and recently can only be described as wickedness.”
Later that evening at 20:47 UTC, he followed up with another message: “RIP @charliekirk11… https://t.co/vetDVW9rqF”
Shope continued to address his audience later that night at 23:19 UTC with a broader statement about violence and morality: “Not sure who else needs to hear this as I’ve already “unfriended” several people I thought I knew on other social media platforms but MURDER IS WRONG! If you can’t accept that, I’d ask you to search your soul because something is missing. If you’re not a believer in that sort of”
Shope’s comments come amid widespread reaction following reports concerning Charlie Kirk. As background, Shope succeeded Kelly Townsend in representing Arizona’s 16th Senate District after being elected in 2023.
