A self-described Portland tattoo artist advertised discounted neck tattoos on the anniversary of Charlie Kirk's murder, placing them at the spot where the conservative activist was fatally shot, and dismissed the backlash as an attack on free speech.
The Instagram account "blacksctratcher," which identifies its operator as a Portland-based tattoo artist, posted what it called a "Kirkiversary Special" on Saturday, offering $50 neck tattoos ahead of the Sept. 10 anniversary of Kirk's death. The promotion included images of sample neck tattoo designs and specified that any custom or flash design was available, "as long as its this placement," the post read, pointing to the neck.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University in Utah during his American Comeback Tour. The tattoo promotion explicitly referenced the wound location, advertising ink at what the artist called "the exact placement of the kirkhole." Fox News Digital reported on the promotion after it spread across social media.
On Sunday, the social media account Libs of TikTok shared the promotion on X, accusing the artist of using the anniversary to "celebrate his assassination." The post accumulated hundreds of thousands of views, drawing swift condemnation.
One Instagram commenter captured the tone of the backlash:
"You're demonic. Yes, we all know about your mental illness."
By Monday, the artist had not backed down. Instead, the "blacksctratcher" account posted an Instagram story, which appeared to include a selfie, with a message that doubled down. The artist wrote: "I am NEET nothing u do can hurt me repubtards," followed by a devil emoji, and added: "Stop imposing on my freedom of speech NOW."
The account was later set to private, though the exact timing, whether before or after the Libs of TikTok post went viral, remains unclear.
Kirk's assassination sent shockwaves through the conservative movement and beyond. Vice President JD Vance later revealed that the killing moved him and his wife Usha to welcome a fourth child, describing how the tragedy reshaped his family's priorities.
When Fox News Digital contacted the artist for comment, the response was telling. Rather than explain or defend the promotion, the artist asked whether she would be "compensated" for responding. She did not answer a follow-up question.
Turning Point USA, the organization Kirk founded, did not immediately reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
The original Instagram post had advertised the promotion in blunt terms. The artist wrote: "Alright yall here it is. One year After Kirk CELEBRATION. customs flash whatever. as long as its this placement!!!." The post displayed various examples of neck tattoos that a customer could choose from, all positioned to mirror where Kirk was fatally wounded.
The criminal case surrounding Kirk's murder continues to move through the courts. Prosecutors have presented forensic evidence, including DNA from suspects Tyler Robinson and Lance Twiggs found on key evidence, as the legal proceedings press forward.
The promotion surfaced at a particularly raw moment for Kirk's family and supporters. Erika Kirk spoke out publicly after enduring a difficult week at the murder suspect's preliminary hearing, describing the emotional toll of reliving her husband's killing in a courtroom.
Against that backdrop, a tattoo artist in Portland chose to mark the anniversary not with silence or even indifference, but with a commercial promotion built around the precise manner in which a 31-year-old man was murdered. The artist framed the backlash as a free-speech issue. But no one tried to silence her through government action. People simply told her what they thought of her conduct, which is how free speech actually works.
The artist's Instagram bio listed her location as "PORTLAND" with instructions to direct-message for bookings. Beyond the handle "blacksctratcher," her real name has not been publicly reported.
The broader political climate around Kirk's legacy has remained charged. Vice President Vance and his family have faced their own share of politically motivated attacks, including a confrontation with a Michigan Democrat who dragged Usha Vance into a Senate race dispute, a reminder that for some on the left, the families of conservative figures remain fair game.
There is no law against tastelessness, and no one has suggested there should be. But the "Kirkiversary Special" is worth noting for what it reveals about a certain strain of political culture, one concentrated in places like Portland, where a young man's violent death becomes a punchline, a branding opportunity, and a way to sell $50 tattoos.
The artist claimed the right to free expression. Fair enough. But free expression includes the right of everyone else to recognize the promotion for exactly what it was: a commercial celebration of political murder, dressed up as body art.
When a society treats assassination as content, the rot runs deeper than one Instagram account.
