Crime Roundup | Charlie Kirk Shooting, Free Speech, and Reflections from CrimeCon
Zone 7 with Sheryl McCollum
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.4 • 696 Ratings
🗓️ 12 September 2025
⏱️ 31 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer use this week’s Crime Roundup to reflect on political violence, the First Amendment, and what it means to live in a divided country. The explore the power and limits of the First Amendment, the risks faced by judges and public figures, and how moments of unity like those following 9/11 have become harder to find. Sheryl also shares behind-the-scenes highlights from CrimeCon 2025, including a drink with Ice-T and a packed Zone 7 session where Joshua’s glasses stole the show.
Highlights:
- (0:00) Welcome to Crime Roundup with Sheryl McCollum and Joshua Schiffer
- (0:45) Charlie Kirk's assassination and what it says about political violence
- (2:45) Common ground, debate, and how to talk across divides
- (5:00) What makes the First Amendment uniquely American
- (9:00 Political threats, judicial safety, and national trauma
- (17:45) Remembering 9/11 and a moment of unity
- (20:00) CrimeCon recap: Ice-T, Marcia Clark, and unforgettable moments
- (22:30) Joshua’s surprise gift for Zone 7 fans
- (26:30) Final thoughts on free speech, differences, and dignity
About the Hosts
Joshua Schiffer is a veteran trial attorney and one of the Southeast’s most respected legal voices. He is a founding partner at ChancoSchiffer P.C., where he has litigated high-stakes criminal, civil rights, and personal injury cases for over two decades. Known for his bold courtroom presence and ability to clearly explain complex legal issues, Schiffer is a frequent media contributor and a fearless advocate for accountability.
Sheryl “Mac” McCollum is an Emmy Award-winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, a forensic and crime scene expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, and co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. She is the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute, a national collaboration that advances techniques for solving cold cases and assists families and law enforcement with unsolved homicides, missing persons, and kidnappings.
🎧 Want more from Sheryl?
Catch her every week on the Zone 7 podcast, where she hosts the main series on Wednesdays, Pathology with Dr. Priya on Mondays, and Crime Roundup each Friday alongside Joshua Schiffer.
📢 Stay Connected
Subscribe using your favorite podcast platform and leave a review to support the show. Have a case or topic you’d like Sheryl and Joshua to cover?
Email [email protected]
Follow the Hosts:
- Sheryl on X: @ColdCaseTips
- Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
- Joshua on X and Instagram: @lawyerschiff
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:04.1 | Your gaming setup should flex as hard as you do. |
| 0:08.1 | Every Lenovo gaming device is engineered for victory, |
| 0:11.3 | featuring powerful GPUs, ultra-responsive displays and advanced cooling systems |
| 0:15.6 | that keep things chill under pressure. |
| 0:18.1 | With a range of machines to support every play style, |
| 0:20.8 | Lenovo is the perfect mix of performance and versatility. |
| 0:24.1 | Whatever your grind looks like, shop now at Lenovo.com slash back to school. |
| 0:31.2 | Inspired by Drive, powered by innovation. |
| 0:34.4 | Music by innovation. |
| 0:48.1 | Y'all, this is not going to be a crime roundup you're expecting, |
| 0:52.2 | but I think it's the crime roundup unique. |
| 0:59.5 | I'm Cheryl McCollum, and I am joined, as always, with Joshua Schiffer. |
| 1:00.6 | Hey, y'all. It's been quite the unexpected day. |
| 1:06.8 | It's an unexpected day, and I want to tell everybody, this is Wednesday. |
| 1:11.1 | We're recording early because I'm going to be traveling and Josh is going to be in court. |
| 1:16.9 | So we're out of pocket Friday. |
| 1:19.3 | But today, we had an assassination. |
| 1:23.6 | And I'm going to tell you real quick, this is not going to be a political show. |
| 1:28.1 | This is not going to be a political show. This is not going to be a show where you were going to feel like you've got to choose one side of the other. |
| 1:35.8 | Josh and I are on the same side. |
| 1:38.1 | There's lots of places if you want to dooms scroll and doom listen. |
... |
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