San Diego County political leaders condemn fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego County political leaders roundly condemned Wednesday's fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk during a speech in Utah, saying political violence is never acceptable.

Kirk, 31, was speaking at an event attended by hundreds of people on the campus of Utah Valley University when a single shot rang out and Kirk appeared to fall backward in his chair on stage. The Associated Press, citing a law enforcement source, initially reported Wednesday afternoon that Kirk was in critical condition, but around 1:45 p.m., President Donald Trump said Kirk had died.

"The great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump wrote on social media. "No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by all, especially me, and no he is no longer with us. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you!"

Campus officials initially said a suspect was taken into custody, but authorities later said the person initially detained was not believed to be the shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel announced on social media around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday that a suspect had been taken into custody. The person was not immediately identified.

The shooting sparked panic in the crowd, which rapidly scattered.

Kirk was a conservative political commentator and activist, and a close ally of President Donald Trump. He co-founded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit organization aimed at advancing conservative policies at high schools and universities.

San Diego County lawmakers from both sides of the political spectrum blasted the shooting.

"This attack is horrifying. Political violence has no place in our country and it's never acceptable. Never," Rep. Juan Vargas, D-San Diego, said.

Rep. Scott Peters, D-San Diego, wrote on X, "The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrific. As Americans, we must be able to disagree on politics and stand together condemning all forms of political violence."

Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, wrote, "I fully condemn this shooting. It adds to the feeding frenzy of political violence in our country, which makes all of us less safe and scares us into submission and silence."

State Sen. Brian Jones, R-Santee, called the shooting "a purely evil act, the type for which there is no place in civil society."

Jones' statement continued, "America is the greatest nation on earth largely because of our freedom to openly discuss and express our differences. We cannot allow political discourse do devolve into hatred and violence."

Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, wrote, "The shooting of Charlie Kirk is horrific. Political violence has no place in America. We can debate fiercely and disagree, but we must lower the anger and hate poisoning our politics and resolve differences peacefully and with basic respect."

Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, called the shooting "a horrific and evil act of violence that strikes at the very heart of our democracy," while also casting blame on critics of conservatives.

"When politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom and media outlets recklessly smear conservatives as `homophobic' or `racist,' they dehumanize people with differing views and fuel the fire that leads unstable individuals to commit acts of violence," he said in a statement.

Local activist Shane Harris, who previously debated with Kirk in televised Fox News segments, said, "My thoughts and prayers are with him and his loved ones during this difficult period. It is imperative to acknowledge that violence is never an acceptable means of expression in political discourse, irrespective of one's perspective. This incident is deplorable and should not be condoned in our society."

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who once interviewed Kirk on an episode of his podcast, also condemned the shooting.

"The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile and reprehensible," Newsom wrote. "In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form."

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