On the evening of September 12, 2025, the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, became the unlikely epicenter of a national debate over free speech, campus conduct, and the boundaries of protest. The spark? An 18-year-old student, Camryn Giselle Booker, who was filmed mocking mourners at a vigil for conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who had been shot and killed just two days prior while speaking at Utah Valley University.
The vigil, held near Texas Tech’s Student Union Building, drew students and community members together to honor Kirk, whose sudden death had already sent shockwaves through political circles nationwide. According to Fox News, Booker was caught on video yelling, “F--k y’all homie dead, he got shot in the head,” as mourners gathered with American flags and candles. The footage, which quickly circulated on social media, showed Booker jumping around, taunting attendees, and confronting a man wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat.
The altercation escalated as the man, panning his camera toward Booker, declared, “Evil is real, people, and it kind of looks like that.” Booker, undeterred, shoved her phone in his face and repeatedly asked, “Why are you so hateful?” The exchange intensified when another attendee asked her to back up, prompting Booker to retort, “Can you not put the camera in my face?” The man replied, “You walked up to me. … I don’t want this. I said rest in peace. Just leave it alone. I want to be left alone.”
Tempers flared further when someone off-camera commented that Booker was being too emotional. Booker shot back, “I’m not being emotional, ma’am. Don’t tell me what I am and what I’m not. You could get out of my face ’cause I can tell you what you are, but you won’t like it.” She then accused the group of racism, stating, “You’re calling me aggressive because I’m a Black woman.” According to Daily Mail, Booker also called the mourners “fascists” and was accused by some of yelling slurs at the crowd.
The situation soon spiraled out of control. Witnesses say Booker shoved several individuals, including an elderly veteran and a young woman with a child, leading to a scuffle that spilled onto the street. The campus police, who had been monitoring the event, intervened and arrested Booker on charges of simple assault—a Class C misdemeanor in Texas—along with battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest, as confirmed by the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office to Fox News and Daily Mail. She was booked into the Lubbock County Jail at 4:52 p.m. and released the next day after posting a $200 bond.
Texas Tech University moved swiftly in the aftermath. On September 15, the university confirmed that Booker was no longer enrolled, though federal privacy laws prevented officials from stating explicitly if she had been expelled. In a statement reported by Fox News and San Francisco Chronicle, the university said, “Any behavior that denigrates victims of violence is reprehensible, has no place on our campus, and is not aligned with our values. We take all reported violations seriously and address them under university policy and the law.”
The incident did not go unnoticed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Taking to social media, Abbott posted a photo of Booker being arrested, writing, “This is what happened to the person who was mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Texas Tech. FAFO.” The acronym, widely understood as “F--- around and find out,” left little doubt about his stance. In a follow-up post, Abbott added, “Definitely picked the wrong school to taunt the death of Charlie Kirk.”
Abbott’s public response drew both praise and criticism. Supporters argued that Booker’s actions crossed a line from protected speech into harassment and violence, justifying both her arrest and expulsion. “We, @TexasTech, are proud of our values and are not afraid to stand up for them. Strive for Honor Evermore! Long Live the Matadors!!” wrote Cody Campbell, chairman of the university’s board of regents, according to Daily Mail.
But free speech advocates raised concerns about the precedent being set. Tyler Coward, an attorney with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, told the San Francisco Chronicle, “Mocking and taunting aren’t per se illegal activity. So the insinuation, at least as I can read it, is [Abbott’s] putting his thumb on the scales as governor of the state that institutions should be arresting people or expelling them for speech that he doesn’t like. That conflation is worrying and I think does send a chilling effect to people who might have a similar disposition to Charlie Kirk.”
The episode also reignited debates about campus speech zones, protest etiquette, and the role of university administrations in policing student conduct. Texas Tech’s “free speech area” near the Student Union, where the incident occurred, is meant to provide a forum for open expression. Yet the events of that Friday night highlighted the challenges universities face in balancing free speech with campus safety and community standards.
Online, the backlash against Booker was swift and severe. Hundreds condemned her actions as disrespectful and inflammatory, with some calling for further legal action. Others, however, questioned whether expulsion and criminal charges were a proportionate response to a heated—if deeply unpleasant—protest.
Booker, for her part, has not issued a public statement, and it remains unclear whether she has retained legal counsel. A representative declined to comment when reached by Fox News. Meanwhile, the man in the red MAGA hat, whose confrontation with Booker became the focal point of the viral video, told mourners, “Evil is real, people, and it kind of looks like that.”
The broader context of Kirk’s death added gravity to the incident. Charlie Kirk, 31, was a polarizing figure in American conservative politics, known for his outspoken views and leadership of Turning Point USA. He was married with two children and had been speaking at Utah Valley University when he was fatally shot by Tyler Robinson, according to Daily Mail. The tragedy drew bipartisan condolences, but also intensified political divisions—reflected in the charged atmosphere at the Texas Tech vigil.
As the dust settles, the case of Camryn Giselle Booker stands as a flashpoint in the ongoing national conversation about the limits of protest, the responsibilities of public institutions, and the enduring tensions between free expression and communal respect. For Texas Tech, for the state of Texas, and for campuses across the country, the lessons—and the debates—are far from over.
