On Sept. 10, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University during a Turning Point USA event. His death sparked widespread public concern. Many public figures have since addressed the rise of politically targeted violent acts.
The shooting followed the assassination of Melissa Hortman, a Minnesota state lawmaker, and the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump. Utah Governor Spencer Cox has said he intends to “pursue the death penalty” for the killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
Faculty Response to Shooting Aftermath
“Nobody was really anticipating that sort of event,” said Matthew Burbank, a political science professor at the University of Utah. He described the high volume of initial coverage as contradictory. “There’s just a lot of news, some of which is incorrect or speculative, and some of which was ‘Here’s what we know at this point, and we’re trying to get more information,’” he said.
Burbank also discussed President Trump’s personal statements on the killing, which he views as unusual. “The fact that the President of the United States is weighing in on this and saying he’s a great guy, and he’s going to give him a medal posthumously … those are all sort of unusual events,” he said. “The Vice President flying in to use Air Force Two to remove the body, those are all events that are, again, very unusual.”
Fred Esplin, a former Vice President of the U, said personal bias has affected people’s perception of the event. “The same event, whether it’s the assassination of Charlie Kirk or anything else going on politically, can be seen in dramatically different ways,” he said. “It’s almost as if the same thing didn’t happen.”
College Democrats and Republicans on Polarization
Rorie Stewart, communications director for the U’s chapter of Utah College Republicans, said she has personally seen political polarization’s negative effects. “I think institutionally, [polarization] really is people pitting people against each other. The US government … is based on the essence of compromise,” she said. “[It] has functions so that people have to compromise to get things passed. And so with this polarization happening, it’s making it so people can’t compromise.”
Brooklynn Gallup, Secretary for the U’s chapter of Utah College Democrats, echoed a similar statement. “Each side is pointing fingers at the other. We just need more unity. We need to come together,” she said.
Gallup said she hopes for increased unity between the organizations in the future. “We put out a statement [saying] we do not support this. We just want to bridge the gap.”
Kirk’s controversial legacy
As an active figure in the American political sphere, Kirk’s views have incited controversy. He gained prominence from several viral videos in the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election.
“[Kirk] was a controversial person,” Burbank said. “He was somebody who essentially made most of his career out of going around to college campuses and doing these interactive events that he was quite good at.”
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a conservative group that advocates on high school and college campuses. Kirk was scheduled for a second event at Utah State University before his death.
University Safety Response
The University of Utah released a statement Sept. 11 stating the Department of Public Safety is “working to increase safety measures on campus.”
Under Utah House Bill 128, open carry is now legal on Utah campuses with a concealed weapons permit. Utah Valley University does allow open carry on its respective campus. “I suspect it will result in tighter security measures when you have a high-profile, particularly controversial figure coming to campus,” Esplin said. “It might be in a more controlled environment.”
