Note: This article was updated at 8:00 PM ET to reflect the fact that the killer is still at large and that a previously-mentioned suspect is no longer being considered.
Around 12:10 PM local time on September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was shot onstage during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. A few hours later, he was dead. As of writing, the killer remains at large. Both Republicans and Democrats have, rightly so, come together to condemn this latest act of political violence.
Charlie Kirk was a constant fixture of the recent American political landscape, especially for the younger generations of Americans. A political right-winger from a young age, he co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012, quickly becoming one of the most prominent conservatives in the United States. He was particularly famous for hosting “prove me wrong” events at colleges where he debated students and others who attempted to stump him. Kirk was a polarizing figure in the United States who had his fair share of controversial statements. He was a key ally of President Trump and the Republican Party, and became famous for hosting “prove me wrong” events at colleges where he debated students and others who attempted to stump him. The President credited him with helping him achieve his victory in 2024, as Kirk was essential in mobilizing many young people to vote for Trump. Whether one agreed with him or not, there is no denying that he was one of the most consequential political commentators of our time, inspiring a generation of young conservatives like himself. Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two young children.
Kirk’s assassination is yet the latest in a series of vicious acts of political violence that have plagued America in recent years. In June 2025, an assassin took the life of Melissa Hortman, a former Democratic Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives, and her husband, and attempted to kill another state legislator and his wife. In April 2025, the governor’s mansion in Pennsylvania was burned down. Of course, we all remember July 2024, when President Trump was shot during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The list of acts of political violence that have occurred in the 2020s goes on, with the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to the brutal beating of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, and other such events. It is a shame that political polarization has come this far. We must learn to talk to one another again and to be able to understand the opposing side’s views. Being able to engage in healthy political discourse is an essential part of a healthy democracy. America can and must do better than this.
Emil Ordonez, a rising college freshman, is the founder and editor-in-chief of Polinsights. He has been deeply passionate about politics and history since learning every U.S. President at the age of five. He was compelled to start this blog after meeting many people who were misinformed or had become apathetic about how society worked. He hopes to provide factual knowledge and insights that will encourage people, especially the young, to get more engaged in their respective communities. In his free time, he edits for Wikipedia and makes maps for elections. He aspires to work in Congress or even the White House in the future.
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