Rising political violence denounced after Kirk killing

GOP unyielding on gun control

Charlie Kirk, a far-right commentator known for inflammatory rhetoric around race, LGBTQ+ rights, and progressive movements, was fatally shot September 10 during a Q&A session at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old’s killing has sparked widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum and reignited concerns that the United States is sliding deeper into an era of political unrest and violence.

“This type of political violence cannot continue. We all need to pray for Charlie Kirk,” said U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn.

“I unequivocally condemn gun violence and political violence in all its forms,” said Rep. Cedrick Frazier, DFL–New Hope, who co-chairs the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.

The shooting occurred during a heated exchange at the conservative speaker’s event, which drew roughly 3,000 attendees. Video footage showed Kirk responding to a question about transgender individuals and mass shootings when a single gunshot rang out. Kirk was struck in the neck and collapsed onstage. Authorities have arrested 24-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected assassin; he faces multiple charges including first-degree murder.

The incident adds to a troubling pattern of politically motivated violence in the U.S., evoking memories of the 1960s when high-profile assassinations shocked the nation. In June 2024, Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were killed in their Brooklyn Park home. Sen. John Hoffman and his family survived an assassination attempt linked to the same suspect. Former President Donald Trump was also injured in an attempted assassination at a Pennsylvania campaign rally.

Kirk, founder of the conservative group TurningPoint USA, made his name as a provocateur targeting racial equity initiatives and critical race theory. He frequently downplayed or outright dismissed systemic racism and once publicly defended former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murdering George Floyd.

In a 2021 stop on his “Exposing Critical Racism Theory” tour at Minnesota State University in Mankato, Kirk told a mostly white crowd, “Just because you’re a white person does not mean you have to begin apologizing simply for how God made you.”

Civil rights attorney and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong was one of several community leaders who have voiced concern about Kirk’s platform. “He’s taking the discontent that some people may be experiencing and combining it with racial animus, which is a dangerous recipe in a country that is still in the midst of racial turmoil,” she told reporters after the Mankato rally.

Rep. Frazier noted the intersection of gun violence and polarizing rhetoric is now a central threat to American democracy. “The combination of gun violence, hateful rhetoric, and hyper-partisan vitriol has become a lethal threat in America,” he said.

Still, some conservative figures have used Kirk’s death to accuse the political left of fomenting violence. President Trump has claimed, without evidence, that “the radical left” had spent years vilifying conservatives like Kirk.

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers,” Trump said in a statement. He made no mention of the attacks on Democratic officials like the Hortmans or the 2024 arson attempt at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion. Elon Musk, a prominent Trump supporter, posted on X: “The Left is the party of murder.” 

Community leaders in Minnesota say the national focus on political blame is missing the larger issue that gun violence remains a persistent, systemic problem that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

Tommy McBrayer, founder of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Don’t Shoot Guns, Shoot Hoops (DSGSH), works to prevent gun violence through youth mentorship and basketball camps. A survivor of gun violence himself, McBrayer understands how easily lives can be lost, and how little attention those losses often receive.

“Political violence wasn’t a thing growing up, but gun violence can happen to anyone,” he said. “When I got shot, I was just another number. If I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t even know.”

McBrayer’s “Boys to Men” program encourages youth ages 10 and up to unplug from distractions and embrace personal growth, guided by principles from Don Miguel Ruiz’s book “The Four Agreements.”

“There’s no phone, no TV, no game systems… so right then and there, you’re setting standards with no distractions,” McBrayer said.

McBrayer criticized the federal government’s response to the broader crisis. “Our president and some leaders…not shedding light on the gun violence problem is basically fueling people to keep doing what they’re doing,” McBrayer said. “When you have a president letting people out of jail from the January 6 events, you’re basically encouraging irrational behavior.”

In 2023, nearly 47,000 people in the U.S. died from gun-related injuries according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide accounted for 58% of those deaths, while homicides made up 38%. That same year, firearms were used in roughly 8 out of ten murders nationwide.

Under the Trump administration, more than $300 million in community violence prevention funding has been cut, and CDC staff tracking gun-related deaths were laid off.

As the nation reacts to Kirk’s death, advocates are urging policymakers to address the root causes of violence, not just its political consequences.

“I continue to grieve while honoring the memory of Melissa and Mark,” said Rep. Frazier. “And I pray for John, Yvette, and their daughter Hope Hoffman as they heal from the trauma they experienced. I unequivocally condemn gun violence and political violence in all its forms.”

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