Man claims Charlie Kirk bullied him so ‘relentlessly’ in high school that he nearly lost his will to live

In the days following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, social media erupted with emotional responses. Among the thousands of posts, one man’s story stood out and quickly went viral, drawing both support and outrage.

Nick Caputo, a man who claimed to have attended high school with Kirk, alleged that Kirk had bullied him so severely as a teenager that it drove him to attempt taking his own life before the age of 18. His emotional post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), amassed more than 20 million views within days.

“Charlie Kirk bullied me relentlessly in high school to the point that I had an attempt before the age of 18,” Caputo wrote. “I feel sympathy for his wife and kids, and only them.” He went on to explain that his father had died young, a painful loss Kirk allegedly mocked and exploited during their school years.

Caputo’s post made it clear that his feelings toward Kirk remained bitter even after his death. While expressing compassion for Kirk’s family, he said bluntly, “I will never, under any circumstances, feel sympathy for this terrible person.”

Many online users related to Caputo’s pain, sharing their own experiences of being bullied and saying his words resonated with them. Some who knew him personally added that they were aware of his family tragedies but had not realized Kirk had worsened the situation.

But the post also drew sharp criticism. Detractors argued that Caputo was exploiting Kirk’s death to air old grievances. “So because your feelings were hurt as a child, you think what happened to Charlie is somehow okay?” one commenter asked. Others accused him of trying to justify violence through personal pain.

Caputo later clarified his remarks, insisting he did not condone the assassination. “You will never hear me say that he deserved what he got,” he wrote, before demanding the shooter be charged with first-degree murder under Utah law. Still, his explanation did little to quiet critics, some of whom accused him of framing the killing as karmic justice.

The viral post highlights the volatile mix of grief, anger, and unresolved trauma that can surface in the wake of a public figure’s death — and how quickly such emotions can polarize the online world.