By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R) is calling the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk “a political assassination.”
Kirk’s murder has sent shockwaves through Washington and across the nation. Utah Valley University students who were there said it was something nobody should ever have to experience.
“I’m just like, how did I just witness this?”
It was a moment that Utah Valley University sophomore Victoria Coca describes as “pure shock.”
Coca had just parked her car and was about to attend Wednesday’s event on campus featuring Kirk.
“I immediately hear the gunshots,” she said. “There was like this tiniest minute or like, point of silence. And then you just hear everybody screaming… like bloodcurdling.”
She got back in her car and left the parking lot. Not long after — “You just see all of these ambulances and cop cars and the sheriff and everybody and all of these undercover vehicles coming to the scene,” said Coca, describing the chaotic aftermath.
Kirk, a close Trump ally and founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was invited to speak at the organization’s Utah Valley University chapter. But the lack of security for such a prominent political figure stood out to Coca.
“That’s something that really shocked me- is how are you going to bring somebody so influenced into a campus and not have any sort of big security measures,” she said.
On Capitol Hill, questions are swirling, and emotions are surging with anger and grief among Republicans.
“You know, this is going to this is going to change things,” said Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) Wednesday afternoon. “We weakened the country today with the loss of Charlie.”
“I felt sick. I felt, I felt stunned at first,” said Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.). “Absolutely agonizing that that would happen to a guy who’s really about open discourse.”
“He welcomed people to disagree with him. And he was murdered for what he believed,” said Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY.). “We need to have some real soul searching in this country.”
Calls to end political violence are not only pouring in from both sides of the aisle but also from those who witnessed open discourse turn into tragedy.
“Everybody, these people who were there saw somebody die. And that’s not something that anyone should experience,” said Coca.
During a press conference on Capitol Hill today, Democratic leaders condemned the tragic shooting.
“This is a time that all Americans should come together and feel and mourn what happened,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY.).
Charlie Kirk leaves behind his wife, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.
