Charlie Kirk: Local MMA fighter Leah McCourt tells of disbelief after fatal shooting
County Down-born MMA fighter Leah McCourt has expressed her shock and sympathy after Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah University.
In a series of posts on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, she posted a picture of her and Charlie Kirk together.
Prior to his death she posted: @charliekirk11 terrifying, One of gods soldiers on the front line’.
Then after he died the Belfast MMA fighter led tributes to the conservative activist and even reacted to a Tweet which insinuated he was ‘a divisive figure’, saying: ‘Divisive figure ? lol. he is a man of god, spoke the truth, quoted the bible and wasn’t afraid to offend people in order to speak gods truth.
‘We need millions more men like @charliekirk11’
In a later post on ‘X’ @leahmccourtmma said: ‘@charliekirk1776 had in his short 31 years is more than thousands upon thousands non believers have had.
‘His voice, passion and love of Christ was so beyond inspiring.
‘The hand he played in the revival of young people was unparalleled.
‘May god rest his soul, I know my Granda will have his arm round him in heaven.
‘Two great men. I pray for his beautiful wife and family.
‘Stay close to god, get your house in order. We are in the end times’.
And in a later post on ‘X’ she said: ‘That was a kill shot, a trained assassin.
lA random doesn’t hit a target that accurate.
‘The media will push an otherwise narrative.
‘Charlie was too talented at ideological debates the left resort to violence.
‘It’s a battle between good and evil.
‘Charlie will be in heaven alongside my Granda who we buried today. Two good men’.
And in her last post @leahmccourtmma said: @Charlie, like my Granda who we buried today. Would have wanted us to do one thing. Be louder, bolder and more unashamed to spread the message of Christ’.
Leah McCourt, originally from Saintfield in Co Down has made her name in the unrelenting world of MMA.
But her ‘X’ profile sinply says: ‘Mama to Isabella. Saved by grace through faith. Professional fighter Bellator MMA. Judo & BJJ Black Belt’.
The news comes as a massive manhunt is under way for a sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, in the latest act of political violence in America.
Mr Kirk was killed by a single gunshot fired from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking on Wednesday.
Federal, state and local authorities said they were working on Thursday on “multiple active crime scenes”.
As the search stretched into a second day, they provided little information about the killer’s identity, motive, location or evidence and were reviewing grainy security videos of a mysterious person in dark clothing.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
“I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.”
Mr Trump announced Mr Kirk’s death on social media and praised the 31-year-old co-founder and CEO of Turning Point as “great, and even legendary” and blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the killing.
Later, he released a recorded video from the White House in which he called Mr Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom”.
Two people detained on Wednesday but neither was determined to have had any connection to the shooting and both have been released, Utah public safety officials said.
The shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum.