Body language expert reveals why Charlie Kirk’s head tilted right after being shot

High-profile assassinations of political figures almost always spark conspiracy theories — and the shooting of Charlie Kirk is no different.

Some online theorists have pointed to footage showing Kirk’s head tilting to the right immediately after he was shot, claiming it proves the shooter was standing right beside him on that side.

Now, a body language expert is stepping in to set the record straight and explain what really happened.

Speculation has run wild

Conspiracy theories offer a sense of control. They give people an explanation, even if it isn’t true, and help them feel like they’re “seeing the real story” behind the headlines. In other words, when the world doesn’t make sense, some turn to theories that make the chaos feel a little more predictable.

High-profile cases always attract intense online attention, where speculation spreads quickly, and the constant stream of opinions can make even unlikely ideas feel plausible.

In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s shooting, speculation has run wild, ranging from claims that the FBI faked chat messages to theories that the real shooter isn’t the arrested suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.

And now, a body language expert has weighed in on the shooting of Charlie Kirk, directly challenging a popular conspiracy theory about the fatal incident.

The right-wing activist was speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah, as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed.

Footage of the shooting, which has circulated widely online, shows Kirk’s head tilting to the right immediately after he was shot. Some online theorists have claimed this tilt proves the shooter was standing to Kirk’s right, right beside him.

Jesús Enrique Rosas, a body language and persuasion expert, pushed back against that idea in a video analysis.

”Well, I couldn’t imagine that I had to make this video analysis, but I’ve been sent this clip like hundreds of times through every channel telling me, ‘So the real shooter was to the right, right next to Charlie Kirk, right there in front of our very eyes,” Rosas says at the start of his video.

Can react in unpredictable ways

Rosas explains that the direction of Charlie Kirk’s head tilt can be better understood by looking at how the body responds to a gunshot wound.

The expert notes that if the shooter had truly been on Kirk’s right, the bullet would have entered from that side, and Kirk’s head would likely have tilted to the left —toward the wound — following a more typical physical reaction.

Instead, Kirk’s head tilts to the right, suggesting the bullet may have come from a different angle, possibly from the left or more forward, rather than from the right side.

Rosas adds that when someone is shot, their body can react in unpredictable ways due to the shock and force of the impact. Movements like Kirk’s rightward head tilt can result from the body instinctively trying to absorb the trauma or protect vital areas, rather than directly indicating the shooter’s position.

Another popular figure on YouTube, neuropsychologist Derek Van Schaik, who has 650,000 followers, also weighed in on social media to explain Charlie Kirk’s reaction to the shooting, clarifying why the activist likely had no awareness of the attack.

“When someone suffers a catastrophic wound to the neck that destroys a carotid artery and jugular vein, the mind only has a fleeting window to possibly register what happened,” Van Schaik said.

What the neuropsychologists says

He added that, based on a detailed analysis of the footage using a digital timer, Kirk was conscious for no more than four-tenths of a second after the impact. “Far too fast for his brain to even register what had happened to him,” Van Schaik explained.

Although neck pain can register in just 100 milliseconds, Van Schaik emphasized that Kirk blacked out too quickly for his brain to process the sensation as pain. “He absolutely did not know he was shot, and he psychologically was unable to even register that anything catastrophic ever happened,” he concluded.

Shocking footage showed Kirk raising his arms toward his neck before collapsing, a movement that left many viewers questioning what was happening.

“Many have speculated his arms moving upward towards his chest is due to a phenomenon known in forensic science as decorticate posturing,” Van Schaik said. “However, that’s unlikely.”

He clarified that decorticate posturing typically occurs when “higher brain areas like the cerebral hemispheres are badly damaged, cutting off voluntary motor control,” which did not appear to be the case in Kirk’s shooting.