Louder with Crowder – Episode Summary

Episode Title: BREAKING: Shooter Caught & Shooting Eyewitness joins to Discuss What He Saw
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Steven Crowder
Guest: Austin Hunsinger (shooting eyewitness, Army veteran, UVU student, football coach)

Main Theme & Purpose

This urgent episode delivers breaking updates on the capture of the shooter in the Charlie Kirk case and features an extended, emotional interview with Austin Hunsinger—one of the eyewitnesses to the shooting. The conversation moves from the details of the shooter’s apprehension, to media misinformation, to Austin’s firsthand account of the event’s atmosphere, security, chaos, and the aftermath. The episode critiques mainstream media coverage and reflects on the broader state of free speech and political violence in America.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Breaking News: Shooter Identified and Caught

• Shooter Confirmed: Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old from Utah, was apprehended.

  • The capture was possible due to a “family member—reportedly a minister—bringing Robinson to U.S. Marshals.” (06:07–07:21)

• Crowder and his team stress the importance of accuracy over speed in reporting, contrasting their own restraint with other media, whom they accuse of spreading misinformation by naming wrong suspects.

  Quote:

  "With a high degree of certainty we have him, we’re in custody. I don’t want to go too far... essentially somebody very close to him turned him in."
  — Gerald (06:07)

2. Media Misinformation and Narrative Control

• Crowder criticizes left-leaning outlets for denying or misrepresenting rumors and exclusive leaks about the case, especially regarding the "engraved bullet casings" with radical or anti-fascist messages.

• Crowder's team claims they were targeted for reporting this detail, only to have it confirmed later.

  Quote:

  “When someone comes out with zero information, by the way, don’t you love how they always simply take the word of the authorities?”
  — Steven Crowder (13:04)

  Quote (On the engraved casings):

  "Inscriptions on a fired casing read 'notices bulges OWO what’s this?' Inscriptions on three unfired casings read ‘hey fascist! catch!’, ‘oh bella chow’, and ‘if you read this, you are gay. LMAO.’"
  — Investigator/Narrator (12:16)

• Crowder defends his journalistic record:

  • “Our scorecard on investigative pieces is six and oh, six and oh. Every time we have told you and we have staked our reputation… we have told you the truth.” (13:04)

• He accuses the mainstream media of intentionally "othering" and vilifying conservatives, creating an environment conducive to political violence.

3. Family and Motive

• Investigators relay that Robinson became increasingly political in recent years, with family mentioning his animosity toward Charlie Kirk’s views.

  Quote:

  "A family member referenced a recent incident... Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn’t like him, and the viewpoints that he had."
  — Investigator/Narrator (18:36)

• Crowder and Josh Firestein preemptively challenge the narrative that Robinson's actions were a result of coming from a Republican family, instead suggesting radicalization and ideological break from family.

4. Eyewitness Account: Austin Hunsinger (24:00–53:43)

Austin’s Background

• Grew up in New York, Army veteran (Afghanistan), UVU political science student (on leave), football coach, Latter-day Saint.

Atmosphere Before the Shooting

• Austin describes a line of people waiting to engage with Charlie Kirk—some left-leaning, some right-leaning, all peacefully discussing viewpoints:

  Quote:

  "How great is this that we can... calmly talk about issues... even before we get to Charlie, we can sit here and calmly talk about issues... There were no fights, there were no screaming, no hollering."
  — Austin Hunsinger (28:53)

The Shooting Incident

• Austin stresses his military training helped him react calmly:

  • Noted that Kirk was in a “textbook kill box” on stage with a balcony above—security risk.
  • As shots rang out, Austin immediately began directing the crowd to safety:

  Quote:

  "I started screaming, everybody up against the wall. Go out through the tunnel. Up against the wall. And it was chaos... but I’m grateful that I talked about that plan with people in my mind."
  — Austin Hunsinger (32:00)

Aftermath & Reflections

• Checked on others, helped people remain calm, witnessed misinformation and conspiracy theories emerging in real time.

• Motivation for speaking out: to counter both left- and right-driven misinformation, emphasizing the event as an attack on free discourse—not part of some deeper conspiracy.

  Quote:

  “Forget about whether it’s an inside job. Forget about the conspiracies. We were having discourse, and somebody took that away from us.”
  — Austin Hunsinger (37:03)

On Security and Moving Forward

• While impressed by much of the security, Austin discusses preventable risks (unswept balcony, accessible roof), referencing lessons not learned from previous attacks.

• Urges event organizers to be more vigilant.

  Quote:

  “I don’t want to discredit the efforts of the security... but to find out there were built cement stairs to that roof... Did we learn nothing from the Butler, Pennsylvania, shooter?”
  — Austin Hunsinger (39:30)

• Stresses bravery over fearlessness for public speakers, honoring Charlie Kirk for knowingly taking risks to uphold free discourse.

  Quote:

  “He wasn’t fearless. He was brave. And there’s a difference, I guarantee you, because every time I've sat in that chair, and it gets dicey, I am terrified.”
  — Steven Crowder (42:01)

On Civil Discourse, Division, and Hope

• Austin calls for courage in having open, difficult conversations even with family and friends.

  • Emphasizes that difficult conversations are a path to reconciliation and national healing, not violence.

  Quote:

  “Don’t talk politics at Thanksgiving... Why not? The people you care about the most should be the people you are willing to discuss these difficult things with.”
  — Austin Hunsinger (45:28)

• He laments the escalation of social division and "Civil War" language, stressing that such violence and fractures are not the answer.

Faith & Personal Values

• Discusses his journey as an LDS member, his principles, and the analogy of missionary work: seeking to share what you value with others in the spirit of care, not compulsion.

5. Releasing Additional Documents & Confirmed Details

• Josh presents exclusive internal law enforcement documents:

  • The booking sheet for the suspect, movement details, and confirmation of the shooter’s attempts to coordinate rifle recovery via Discord.
  • Direct mention of bullet engravings in the suspect's own communications.

  Quote:

  "We have internal documents... the inmate booking sheet... confirms day of event, suspect’s movement... messages also referred to engraving on bullets…"
  — Josh Firestein (55:00)

NOTABLE QUOTES & MEMORABLE MOMENTS

• On misinformation and journaling integrity:

  "If we release a memo and it turns out to be correct and you have people out there saying this is incorrect. He’s a charlatan. I know this for a fact. Who is the liar? Who is the charlatan? There can only be one."
  — Steven Crowder (11:44)

• On why the shooting matters:

  "The cold blooded murder of Charlie Kirk was terrorism, full stop. The silencing of journalists and intimidation of people reporting the truth is a soft form of terrorism."
  — Steven Crowder (13:04)

• Austin’s perspective as a witness:

  "This shooter took that away from us... you completely remove the freedom of speech that you say you value so much when you do something like that."
  — Austin Hunsinger (28:53)

• On heroism:

  "A lot of people only think of themselves. They duck down and run. And those people who don't have your experience, those people who've never been in a situation like that, knowing that there was someone there who was thinking of someone other than themselves and was there to help is very powerful."
  — Steven Crowder (52:14)

TIMESTAMPS FOR IMPORTANT SEGMENTS

| Timestamp | Topic | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:25 | Crowder introduces Charlie Kirk shooting, today's guest | | 06:07 | Update: Shooter’s capture detailed | | 12:16 | Crowder’s report on engraved bullet casings, media skepticism | | 18:36 | Investigator: Shooter’s radicalization commented on by family | | 24:00 | Austin Hunsinger joins; his background and why he reached out | | 28:53 | Austin: The environment in line before the shooting | | 32:00 | Austin: Description of the shooting and his immediate response | | 37:03 | Austin on misinformation and conspiracy theories post-shooting | | 39:30 | Austin’s critique of security and event logistics | | 43:49 | Austin and Crowder discuss civil discourse and risk for speakers | | 46:00 | Conversation on faith, values, and the importance of disagreement| | 55:00 | Josh: Internal law enforcement docs on shooter and bullet messages|

TONE & LANGUAGE

The conversation is intense, passionate, raw, and at times combative—especially toward the mainstream media and left-wing commentators. Crowder and his team persistently frame the episode as a battle for truth and the right to speak openly, with repeated emphasis on personal and journalistic integrity. There’s also an emotionally charged, almost elegiac tone as Austin and Crowder reflect on the cost of activism and public discourse in America today.

CLOSING THOUGHT

This episode is a compelling mix of breaking investigation, harsh media critique, and personal testimony from someone profoundly impacted by political violence. It offers a rare eyewitness perspective, underscoring both the risks of public debate and the necessity of preserving civil discourse and courage in a polarized age.