REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
(New York, New York) – Independent journalist Nick Shirley says he was the final guest to appear on “The Charlie Kirk Show” before conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed – and now claims people are invoking Kirk’s death while issuing threats against him.
Shirley made the remarks during a recent appearance on the PBD Podcast, telling host Patrick Bet-David that the timing of his appearance on Kirk’s show has weighed heavily on him amid escalating hostility following his viral reporting on alleged fraud tied to Somali-run daycare centers in Minnesota.
“I was actually the last guest to ever go on Charlie Kirk’s show before he got shot,” Shirley said. “That’s why it hit me so hard.”
According to reporting from the Daily Caller News Foundation, Shirley also said that since publishing his video, people have explicitly threatened his life, telling him he would be “Kirked” – a reference to Kirk’s killing.
“They’re saying, ‘You’re going to be Kirked… you’ll be the next Kirk,’” Shirley said on the podcast. “I feel bad for my family, honestly, because we didn’t do anything wrong.”
Shirley said the threats have extended beyond him personally, claiming his family has been contacted by media outlets and that his home address and his father’s information were circulated online without consent. He also alleged that individuals confronted him in public and that his reporting team was followed while documenting daycare locations.
Shirley’s viral video alleges that several Minnesota daycare centers – including one that reportedly received millions in taxpayer funding – appeared to lack enrolled children. He has said his reporting was not intended to be partisan, but rather focused on exposing fraud.
Authorities have not confirmed any connection between the threats Shirley described and the killing of Kirk. No charges have been announced related to the alleged threats, and law enforcement has not publicly commented on Shirley’s claims.
Still, the remarks have fueled renewed concern among Shirley’s supporters about the safety of independent journalists operating in an increasingly volatile political environment – particularly those whose reporting attracts national attention.
