Joshua Isaiah Hayes, or Joshey I. Hayes aka ‘Jigaboo Jackson’ identified as the Texas State University (TXST) student caught on viral video re-enacting the shooting death of divisive conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk, leading to his expulsion and wide debate over free speech (even offensive speech).
A Texas State University student expelled after mocking Charlie Kirk’s death has been identified as a Charlotte, North Carolina man.
Joshua “Jigaboo Jackson” Hayes, also going by the names of Joshua Isaiah Hayes or Joshey I. Hayes is alleged according to internet sleuths to be the individual caught on viral video re-enacting the shooting death of divisive conservative influencer, Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated last week while appearing at a Utah university campus.
His full name:
JOSHUA ISAIAH HAYES pic.twitter.com/re51i6TaKm
— DΣSK (✝️, ✙) (@D3SK_) September 16, 2025
Black provocateur
The alias “Jigaboo” is a deeply offensive racial slur with a painful history, used to derogatorily refer to Black people. The adoption of such a name is perplexing and suggests a persona designed to provoke, shock, and attract attention through controversy.
The Texas State University student drew the ire of of the web after viral video showed Joshua Hayes repeatedly reenacting and mocking Charlie Kirk‘s assassination at a memorial held in his honor.
Video shared on social media showed Hayes mocking Kirk’s death and spitting near people attending Monday’s on-campus memorial.
Gov. Gregg Abbott led calls for disciplinary action and urged the university to ‘expel this student immediately’, alleging such ‘conduct is not accepted at our schools’.
The student appeared to be targeting members of Kirk’s nonprofit organization Turning Point USA, which was hosting the memorial.
‘Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b***h,’ the student shouted, before repeating the slap and vibrating his body as if to mimic recoiling from a bullet’s impact, the video shows.
He then climbed a nearby statue and repeated the action yet again, this time dropping to the ground after the vibrating motions.
The student is then heard saying ‘f*** that n*****’ as he walks away from the crowd of shocked demonstrators.
🚨 BREAKING: This demonic student has been EXPELLED from Texas State University after gruesomely reenacting the death of Charlie Kirk and mocking his supporters on campus. GTFO.
“The individual is no longer a student at TXST.”
Welcome to consequences culture. pic.twitter.com/4L2ecdJ0Hp
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 16, 2025
TXST student expelled leads to debate over free speech
Texas State President Kelly Damphousse later confirmed the student in the video was identified.
‘I will not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campuses,’ Damphousse wrote in a statement. ‘It is antithetical to our TXST values. The individual is no longer a student at TXST.’
Damphousse added federal law prevents the university from commenting further on individual student conduct matters.
The case has since led to some wondering whether the university has legal merit to suspend the student, who despite their actions and conduct being repugnant and morally defunct, nevertheless could be argued was expressing their constitutional first amendment rights to free speech.
