Transgender BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe has ignited widespread backlash after appearing to celebrate the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media, just hours after his assassination at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, 31, a prominent right-wing commentator and staunch ally of Donald Trump, was fatally shot while hosting a Q&A event with students in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday.
The attack, which occurred moments after Kirk engaged in a heated discussion about mass shootings involving transgender individuals, was captured on video and quickly went viral.
President Trump confirmed on Friday that a suspect is now in custody, telling Fox & Friends: “I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody.”
Transgender BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe has ignited widespread backlash after appearing to celebrate the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on social media, just hours after his assassination at Utah Valley University
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Two individuals initially detained were later released, sparking an FBI manhunt before the breakthrough arrest.
Kirk, a father of two, was struck by a single bullet and rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
He leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, their three-year-old daughter and 16-month-old son. The couple had recently celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
In the hours following Kirk’s death, Wolfe, who was an alternate for Team USA’s BMX freestyle squad at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, posted a string of celebratory messages on Instagram.
According to Fox News, one post featured a report of Kirk’s killing overlaid with an animated clip of children’s cartoon character Dora the Explorer with the caption: “We did it!”
Another showed Wolfe smiling and giving a thumbs-up alongside the message: “Being a Nazi is completely optional btw. He didn’t have to do all that, but he did and now he’s dead.
“Don’t live your life in a way that the world is better following your death.”
In a separate post, Wolfe once again likened Kirk to a Nazi, writing: “We hate Nazis because they want us dead.”
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Transgender BMX rider Chelsea Wolfe uploaded sickening posts after the death of Charlie Kirk
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Wolfe also reshared a message accusing Kirk of being a “fascist organiser” who “actively harmed marginalised communities every single day,” insisting that refusing to mourn him was a legitimate response.
The posts quickly drew condemnation across the sporting world and beyond.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova labelled the messages “sickening,” joining thousands online in criticising Wolfe for celebrating a politically motivated murder.
Wolfe, who became the first openly transgender athlete to qualify for a US Olympic team, has long been a controversial figure.
The cyclist previously made headlines in 2020 for saying she hoped to “burn the American flag” if she won at the Games, later clarifying that her comments were intended as a protest against policies affecting trans youth.
The athlete’s competitive career came to a halt in 2023 when cycling’s world governing body, the UCI, banned transgender women from competing in female categories — a decision that effectively ended Wolfe’s participation at the elite level.
Meanwhile, investigators continue to piece together details of Wednesday’s shooting.
A law enforcement bulletin obtained by The Wall Street Journal revealed that the bullets inside the .30-06 hunting rifle used in the attack were engraved with messages referencing transgender and anti-fascist ideology. Authorities also recovered three unspent rounds bearing similar inscriptions.
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Charlie Kirk was shot at a university campus in Utah | REUTERS
Utah Public Safety Chief Beau Mason confirmed that surveillance footage shows the suspect blending in with students before making the fatal shot and then jumping from a campus building to escape.
The FBI has since recovered the weapon, wrapped in a towel with a spent cartridge still in the chamber.
The Department of Justice has cautioned that evidence is still being assessed and the investigation remains ongoing.
President Trump, who himself survived an assassination attempt at a Pennsylvania campaign rally in July 2024, paid tribute to Kirk on Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you!”