2025 was defined by a series of viral, divisive incidents that sparked nationwide debate about race, policing, prosecutorial choices and domestic terrorism. Major stories included the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the New Year’s Day terrorist attack on Bourbon Street, Bryan Kohberger’s guilty plea in the Idaho student murders and Karen Read’s acquittal on major charges. A widely circulated video of a violent Cincinnati beating also prompted arrests and political fallout. Across these cases, video and social media shaped public perception and intensified legal and policy discussions.
Kohberger Plea, Cincinnati Beating, Kirk Assassination and More: The Viral, Divisive Stories That Defined 2025
Charlie Kirk speaks before he is assassinated during Turning Point's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
2025 was dominated by a series of high-profile, emotionally charged incidents that fueled national debate over race, public safety, prosecutorial decisions and domestic terrorism. Video and social media amplified each event, shaping public reaction and prompting political and legal fallout.
Tyler Robinson, accused of the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in Fourth District Court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, December, 11, 2025.
Charlie Kirk Assassination — Orem, Utah (Sept. 10)
Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was shot while speaking at Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour” event at Utah Valley University in Orem. According to authorities, an assailant positioned on a nearby roof opened fire from roughly 200 feet away. Kirk was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
Karen Read outside of Norfolk County Superior Court, Friday, June 13, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Footage captured by audience members circulated widely online, showing the fatal shot and the ensuing chaos as students fled. Less than two days later, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson surrendered to police at a station in St. George; family members said they confronted him after comparing him to released images of the suspect. Robinson faces aggravated murder charges and prosecutors have signaled intentions to seek the death penalty.
Karen Read and John O'Keefe together in an undated photo.
Karen Read Acquittal — Massachusetts (June 18)
Karen Read had been charged in the Jan. 29, 2022, death of Boston police officer John O’Keefe. Prosecutors alleged she struck him with her vehicle, left him outside another officer’s home and that he later died of exposure. Read’s initial trial ended in a 2024 mistrial when jurors could not agree.
Terrorist Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas killed 14 civilians and injured 57 others as he plowed through crowds of New Year’s Eve revelers shortly after midnight in New Orleans, Louisiana on Jan. 1, 2025.
On June 18, 2025, a jury acquitted Read of second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence and leaving the scene. She was convicted only of driving under the influence and received one year of probation. The officer’s family has filed a wrongful death civil suit that is expected to continue into 2026.
Authorities patrol Bourbon Street as it is reopened in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.
New Orleans Terror Attack — Bourbon Street (Jan. 1)
In the early hours of New Year’s Day, a mass-casualty attack on Bourbon Street left 14 people dead and 57 injured. Authorities identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. citizen from Texas, who was later killed in a shootout with police. Investigators recovered improvised explosive devices placed inside coolers and an ISIS flag in the vehicle used in the attack. The FBI released surveillance images showing the suspect walking the area about an hour before the assault, and officials said he posted videos online declaring allegiance to ISIS just hours earlier.
Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing, Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Boise, Idaho, for brutally stabbing four University of Idaho students to death.
Bryan Kohberger Guilty Plea — Idaho Student Murders (July 2)
Bryan Kohberger, 28, pleaded guilty to the 2022 murders of four University of Idaho students — Madison Mogen, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Arrested on Dec. 30, 2022, after a monthlong manhunt, Kohberger accepted a plea agreement to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to four consecutive life terms without parole plus additional time for burglary. The plea did not require him to provide a motive, a decision that drew criticism from some family members.
Madison Mogen, top left, smiles on the shoulders of her best friend, Kaylee Goncalves, as they pose with Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle and two other housemates in Goncalves' final Instagram post, shared the day before the four students were stabbed to death.
Cincinnati Viral Beating — Downtown Cincinnati (July 26)
Video captured just after 3 a.m. outside the LoVe nightclub near Fourth and Elm streets showed a group assaulting at least two individuals, prompting national outcry over public safety and race. Multiple people were arrested in the aftermath, including Jermaine Mathews, Montianez Merriweather, Patrick Rosemond, Gregory Wright, Dominique Kittle, DeKyra Vernon and Aisha Devaughn. One of the men who was beaten, Alex Tchervinski, was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct; his attorney said the charge re-victimized him.
(Top L-R) Dominique Kittle, DeKyra Vernon, Patrick Rosemond, Jermaine Mathews, (Bottom L-R) Aisha Devaughn, Gregory Wright and Montianez Merriweather are facing various charges for their alleged roles in the viral beatdown in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 26, 2025.
The footage intensified scrutiny of local officials and policies: Ohio Governor Mike DeWine called the attack “shocking,” and the Fraternal Order of Police voted no-confidence in Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. Community leaders urged caution against premature racialization of the incident even as calls for transparency and policy changes grew louder.
How Video and Social Media Shaped 2025
Across these cases, video evidence and social platforms played central roles — accelerating news cycles, mobilizing public opinion and complicating legal narratives. Visuals that spread widely often became the primary lens through which incidents were understood, sometimes before full investigations or court proceedings were complete.
Context: These stories illustrate how a single clip or online post can influence public perception and policy debates, while also underscoring the limits of footage alone to convey full legal or factual contexts.
As these legal cases and investigations continue — including civil suits and pending trials — they will likely remain touchstones in ongoing national conversations about justice, security and the power of viral media.
