Student leaders at John Carroll University condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative firebrand and founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. He was 31 and is survived by two children.
John Carroll University is among the 850 colleges across America with a Turning Point USA chapter. Turning Point at John Carroll declined to comment for this story, citing directions from their national headquarters.
Isaiah Gray ’27, President of the College Republicans at John Carroll said, “We conservatives carried great hope for a future with Charlie Kirk … Though the void he leaves is immense, I believe his death will serve as a catalyst for reason and righteousness to take deeper root.” Joe Bilas ’27, President of the Democrats of JCU, said, “We denounce political violence in every and any form and highlight the need for additional gun laws to reduce the risk of political violence.”
Kirk entered the political arena after dropping out of college in his freshman year. At age 18, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a non-profit advocating right-wing politics to high school and college students. Over the 13 years that followed, Turning Point has grown to encapsulate 850 university chapters across America. Kirk had a substantial online presence and was often credited with increasing President Trump’s popularity with young voters.
Trump first announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social at 4:40 p.m. Trump posted, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”
Political violence has been on the rise in America across the political spectrum. Last election cycle alone, Trump was the victim of two assassination attempts and a Democratic National Committee field office was shot at multiple times. Gray said, “this was not an isolated act. It is part of a broader assault on conservatives and on the principles we stand for.”
Trump has ordered flags across the country be flown at half-staff until Sept. 14 in honor of Kirk, who Trump called a “Great American Patriot.”