Several high-profile figures within the world of sport have reacted in horror to the shocking assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, 31, was hosting an event at Utah Valley University in the United States on Wednesday when he was shot in the neck while speaking onstage.
He was rushed to hospital as doctors tried to save him, but US president Donald Trump later announced that the influential MAGA commentator had passed away.
British sports broadcaster Laura Woods, who works for multiple networks including ITV, Amazon Prime and TNT Sports, took to social media early on Thursday morning to share her horrified reaction, describing Kirk as an ‘absolutely formidable commentator’ in her post.
‘I really can’t get out of my head what has happened to Charlie Kirk,’ she posted on social media platform X.
‘I watched him a lot, not because I agreed with everything he said, but because he was an absolutely formidable commentator and could debate in a relentless, yet respectful way.
TV sports presenter Laura Woods has reacted to the ‘horrifying’ assassination of Charlie Kirk
The 31-year-old conservative commentator was shot dead while hosting an event in Utah
Woods described Kirk as an ‘absolutely formidable commentator’ in her post on social media
‘Shot in the throat for using his voice. I’ll never get that image out of my head. Horrifying.’
Woods has not shied away from wading in on politics over the years on social media.
In 2024, the popular sports presenter revealed she had received death threats after commenting on the Paris Olympics gender boxing row.
Woods supported an article which questioned the International Olympic Committee’s decision to allow Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete and claimed it placed women in ‘unnecessary danger’.
After displaying her support of the article, Woods said she received a slew of abuse online and was sent death threats against her and her then unborn baby boy, whom she shares with former Love Island star Adam Collard.
Her reaction to various political and social issues over the years has led many to assume Woods is right-leaning, although the presenter denied being a Tory to a social media account back in 2022.
Elsewhere, boxer and social media star Jake Paul — who publicly endorsed Trump’s campaign during the US presidential election — penned a message on social media in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
Jake Paul also took to social media to lament the ‘mentally sick time we are living through’
The influencer and boxer was publicly endorsed Donald Trump during the presidential election
‘Charlie Kirk got shot for telling the truth. That is literally it,’ he posted on X.
‘What a mentally sick time we are living through We need god more than ever Praying for Charlie’s family and praying for these evil people to heal.’
Golfer Phil Mickelson also said: ‘I never met Charlie Kirk but I am gutted by this atrocity. Open debate is healthy and essential.
‘Free speech is a constitutional right. Violence for disagreeing with someone is sick, deranged, and creates a greater division that becomes harder to overcome.’
Former UFC champion Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson was appearing on a live stream at the time in which he heard about Kirk’s assassination.
The MMA star looked stunned as his immediate reaction was captured and said: ‘What? He died? Ohhh he died, Charlie Kirk died.
‘That’s sad, for having an opinion about things.’
The New York Yankees also held a minute’s silence to honour Kirk after the activist’s assassination on Wednesday.
US golfer Phil Mickelson also posted with sadness in reaction to the shock killing of Kirk
He admitted he was ‘gutted by the atrocity’ and insisted the importance of free speech
The New York Yankees held a minute’s silence to honor Charlie Kirk after his assassination
Yankee Stadium came to a standstill just before their game against the Detroit Tigers as players, coaches and fans all paid their respects.
The American baseball team’s X account posted: ‘Before tonight’s game we held a moment of silence in memoriam of Charlie Kirk.
‘Kirk founded the youth activist group “Turning Point USA” and had become a fixture on college campuses. Charlie Kirk, a husband and father of two children, was 31 years old.’
