Tensions rise as UMKC students react to Charlie Kirk’s assassination 

  Students at UMKC wrestle with grief, anger and reflection after the assassination of conservative advocate Charlie Kirk, whose death has led to intensifying debates over political violence and free speech in the United States.

  Annabelle Jenkins, a sophomore elementary education major, reflected these tense emotions.

  “If it took a conservative, hateful, white male, who openly preached support for the Second Amendment, getting murdered to open people’s eyes, then the ignorance in this country is clear,” said Jenkins. “When you let down a wall of ignorance, anyone is capable of change.”

  “As a Christian myself, I’ve despised the glorification of Charlie Kirk. There is nothing holy about his actions,” said Jenkins. “Praying isn’t going to save us all. We need gun reforms and policies that will prioritize lives over guns.”

  The shooter, Tyler Robinson of Washington County, Utah, was arrested late Thursday and booked on suspicion of aggravated murder, weapons violation and obstruction of justice.  

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we got him,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference. “This is an attack on the American experiment. It is an attack on our ideals. This cuts to the very foundation of who we are, of who we have been and who we could be in better times.”

  Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot once while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. 

  Melina Thomas, a junior majoring in biology and chemistry said that it was unsettling.

  “It is deeply upsetting that someone would feel compelled to take another person’s life simply because of their opinion,” said Thomas. “One of the greatest things about America is that we all have the right to express our beliefs. Yet, the increasing frequency of gun violence, whether in mass school shootings or attacks on politicians who speak out about what they believe, is frightening.”

  Thomas was involved in Turning Point in high school and admired Kirk’s willingness to defend his positions.

  “He knew that speaking was dangerous and did it anyway, because he valued America and its people,” she said. “We need more people like him in the world.”

  Law enforcement officials say that Robinson’s rifle casing was engraved with political messages. They cited messages and witness accounts that suggested he had grown increasingly political in recent years and opposed Kirk’s views.

  Ashlee Reyes, a junior political science major, said she has seen the reality of threats in politics through her work with lawmakers. 

  “When it comes to opinions, as someone who’s already in the political field working with senators and congressmen, it’s not uncommon to know there is political violence and threats present in this day and age,” Reyes said. “My take as a person in the field is this kind of violence has no room in politics. 

  Reyes added, “Charlie Kirk nonetheless did not deserve it no matter his side, opinions and party. I hate viewing some of my party, Democrats, go to the extreme and not show sympathy and even mock his death. Regardless his death is very symbolic and poetic,” said Reyes. “He called dead kids the ‘price of freedom’ for him to be able to still have access to his guns. And then freedom sent him the bill.”

President Donald Trump, a close ally of Kirk, praised law enforcement and condemned the left during multiple appearances Friday.

  “I think with a high degree of certainty we’ve got him,” Trump said on Fox & Friends. He also told reporters, “We have to beat the hell out of radical left lunatics.”

  Offering condolences, Trump called Kirk “a great guy from top to bottom. He was loved by everybody. Please, keep his family in your prayers.”

  Joss Quick, a sophomore nursing major, said she was personally devastated about the situation.

  “Regardless of anyone’s political stance Charlie Kirk was a human and in addition, a husband and father,” Quick said. “If anyone is out there right now, currently cheering for the death of another human, please reevaluate your morals. I am praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and friends.”

  Maeve Dee, a sophomore in elementary education, said that while she did not agree with Kirk’s views, she was troubled by the response to his death.

  “While I don’t personally agree with his ideologies and rhetoric, I don’t think anyone should be killed in that way,” said Dee. “His children have to grow up without their dad and his wife has to continue on without her husband. I believe that people celebrating are also part of the problem that this country faces today.”

  The shooting has sparked renewed arguments over gun laws, the role of political rhetoric and the risks faced by public figures in a polarized nation.

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