By Matthew Sotlar & Joslyn DelSignore / The Jambar
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Sept. 10 while debating students at Utah Valley University in Owen, Utah — drawing widespread condemnation and heightening concern about political violence on college campuses and across America.
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a group that made him a popular and influential figure for many young conservatives — including a chapter at Youngstown State University — though his provocative rhetoric and controversial stances on abortion, gun control and LGBTQ+ rights also made him a target of intense criticism from the left.
In response to the shooting, President Donald Trump called Kirk a “Patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country he loved so much” in a televised Oval Office appearance.
In addition to Trump, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom released a statement calling for others to honor Kirk’s memory by engaging in civil discourse.
“In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence,” Newsom stated. “Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.”
Alongside the national response, YSU President Bill Johnson released a statement condemning the act.
“As a university president, and more importantly, as a father and grandfather, I was sickened to see today’s shooting that took the life of Charlie Kirk, a young American who was simply exercising his constitutional rights of free speech on a college campus,” Johnson stated.
Richard Rogers, associate professor of criminal justice, said extremists are often inspired by previous shooters or by radical ideologies.
“You look at the texts where people are citing racist sources, like ‘Mein Kampf’ or ‘The Turner Diaries,’” Rogers said. “Now, the active shooters are reading each other, so you do see this kind of literature that has appeared where they are building upon previous shooters.”
Following an extensive manhunt led by the FBI, police arrested 22-year-old, Utah-native Tyler Robinson, as Kirk’s alleged shooter. Robinson remains uncooperative with authorities and his motive for killing Kirk remains uncertain.
Kirk’s death is seen as part of a trend of violence against politicians and political activists. In June, Minnesota House Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed, and Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in attacks allegedly perpetrated by Vance Boelter.
In addition, two attempts on Trump’s life have been made. In July 2024, Trump was shot in the ear while speaking at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Later in September, a man was arrested near Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort for allegedly shooting at Trump and his allies.
While discussions on many social media platforms have been divided over the killing of Kirk, Rogers said there has been more unity between Democrats and Republicans.
“If you look at what’s been happening over the last two or three days, it’s been the opposite,” Rogers said. “College Democrats and college Republicans are issuing statements saying to ratchet it down. We’ve recently had the U.S. Department of Justice change its tune a bit, and are talking about this because they were getting criticism from both the left and right.”
Johnson stated that Kirk’s death, despite his views and beliefs, emphasizes the need to listen to everyone’s ideas without committing violence.
“I want all of us to remember why we have the God-given right of free speech in the first place,” Johnson stated. “It’s so we can talk to each other — especially about controversial issues — even when we disagree with one another and it’s because when we talk — and equally important, listen — to one another, we are far less likely to resort to violence.”
