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SALT LAKE CITY — For the residents of Utah, 2025 was a very mixed bag of emotions and the Deseret News photojournalists were, once again, on the front lines covering the emotional stories that in many ways, rocked our world.
In September, the Beehive State was at the epicenter of political violence when Charlie Kirk was tragically assassinated on the Utah Valley University campus.
Deseret News photojournalist Tess Crowley was one of several journalists covering the event and was swept down onto the ground after the fatal shot rang out.
Within moments, Crowley was able to get up and start documenting the panic and horror of the attendees as they started to realize what had happened.
But mixed in through the year, there were many uplifting moments in the daily lives of not only Utahns, but others that we covered across the country and around the globe.
The photos captured lighthearted moments like pond skimming to wrap up a busy ski season, to celebrating the new St. Mary Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church opening, to the excitement of watching grade-schoolers receive brand new shoes from Operation Warmth and FedEx.
And we paid tribute to those we lost this year, like President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Pope Francis, former Congresswoman Mia Love and fallen first responders in Tremonton.
Here's a look at 67 of our most impactful photographs that captured 2025.
