Curly Hair Man in the Crowd
A man with curly hair seated in the UVU crowd became a recurring subject in citizen-shared footage because of how he reacted during the shooting. Online researchers say he is the same man later seen chanting "USA" after the shot, and the same man they have tried to attach several names to. He appears here because he is frequently discussed — not because anything has been established about him.
:::caution One person, unverified identification — no accusation This page describes the same unidentified man that several other pages on this site also cover — the curly-haired figure in the UVU crowd who was also seen chanting "USA." The names below (Matt Taber, James Norman Rawlinson, David Sprague) and the handle @RtothepowerofX all come from anonymous crowd-sourced facial matching and public-records guessing. None has been confirmed by a reliable, on-the-record source. Being present in a crowd — or reacting to a shooting — is not evidence of involvement in any crime. Nothing on this page is a finding of wrongdoing against any living person. :::
The same man — several labels
Online researchers use several different labels for what they say is one individual. Each label has its own page on this site so search traffic lands somewhere accurate and caveated:
- Curly Hair Man — the neutral description of the crowd figure (this page)
- USA-Chant Man — the man seen chanting "USA" after the shot
- Matt Taber — an early name guess, later set aside
- James Norman Rawlinson — floated as a possible birth name
- David Sprague — a name he reportedly uses now (reportedly a mother's maiden name; also written "DavidJames Sprague")
- @RtothepowerofX — an X handle cited online in connection with him
The links between these labels are allegations by anonymous online accounts, not established fact. This site does not vouch for any of them.
What the footage shows
The underlying observation is narrow and comes from short, isolated video loops:
- He was described as turning toward the direction of the shot.
- He was described as standing up when others around him did not.
- He appeared to pump his fist in the air.
- In separate news clips he is seen chanting "USA" in the seconds after the shot.
The video may look like he pumped his fist in the air. That is a description of a gesture, not of a state of mind, and this site does not say he cheered. Readings of a few frames of body language are subjective readings of short clips, not findings — a startle-and-stand reaction, or a reflexive chant under shock, is common and looks very different in isolation than in fully time-synced context.
His own account — he says he did not cheer
He has sent a message to this site's author asking that people know he did not cheer. That is his own first-person statement about his own conduct, and it is recorded here at his request.
According to the same clips that circulated, he also said he chanted "USA" to create a distraction that might calm the panicking crowd and help save lives. His stated intent is a reported account, not an established fact, and it cuts directly against the reading some posters attached to the footage.
Public records cited online
Commentators point to ordinary, publicly-searchable records. None of these records indicates any wrongdoing; they are listed only because they are repeatedly cited online:
- A business reportedly operated as Joseph Hasel LLC, DBA "Salon 21".
- That business reportedly received roughly $115,200 in federal COVID-era loans — a program used by hundreds of thousands of small businesses.
- Buzzfile reportedly estimates the business's revenue at about $47,000/year.
- A stylist profile for locs work at a Provo, Utah salon ("Dreadknotilus") under a similar name.
Running a salon, receiving a pandemic small-business loan, and cutting hair are normal, lawful activities. They are noted here only to document what online researchers have pointed to — not to imply anything improper about anyone.
Open questions
- Has any reliable, on-the-record source actually identified this man?
- Do the circulated names refer to one real person, or to mismatched records?
- Does complete, time-synced video place his movements and his chant in ordinary context rather than the short loops that circulate?
- Was his reported explanation — chanting to calm the crowd — ever corroborated?
Status
Status: Alive (private individual). This page names no confirmed identity and accuses no one of any crime or of any role in the events of September 10, 2025.
Sources
- Citizen-shared crowd footage and public-records discussion on X (including the handle @RtothepowerofX). Identifications are unverified and attributed to anonymous online research.
- Companion narrative: The List of Distraction People (Claims).
Public commentary
This name continues to appear in citizen distraction / early-suspect discussions of the UVU event. No court has adjudicated criminal guilt against this man in connection with Charlie Kirk's death, and any "he was part of the hit" language circulating on X remains an unverified allegation. Primary video, arrest logs, and the open questions listed above offer more reliable context. Related context appears in the Distraction Overview and Proof Not Tyler sections.
This website's author is @HolonCitizen on X and YouTube/@HolonCitizen. Follow me there.
Interesting
- Crews say the sheriff's photo of the black-clad rooftop suspect did not match the FBI's.
- A witness with close-up 4K footage says he was instructed to delete it.
- Tucker Carlson told AmericaFest that taking AIPAC money is America-last.
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