(FOX 5/KUSI) — Conservative activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, 31, died after being shot in the neck while speaking at Utah Valley University shortly after noon on Wednesday.
Kirk was rushed to a hospital after he was shot on stage, and remained in critical condition before being pronounced dead.
California officials have offered statements regarding the shocking incident.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement after Kirk was pronounced dead, including calling the murder “sick” and “reprehensible.”
“We should all feel a deep sense of grief and outrage at the terrible violence that took place in Utah today. Charlie Kirk’s murder is sick and reprehensible, and our thoughts are with his family, children, and loved ones,” Gov. Newsom wrote in a press release.
Newsom continued: “I knew Charlie, and I admired his passion and commitment to debate. His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.
“The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence. Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation.”
Senate Minority Leader of the California State Senate, Brian W. Jones, said he’s praying for Kirk, his family and for America.
“I stand in solemn prayer for Charlie Kirk and his family. This was a purely evil act, the type for which there is no place in civil society,” Jones wrote in a press release.
“America is the greatest nation on earth largely because of our freedom to openly discuss and express our differences. We cannot allow political discourse to devolve into hatred and violence. May we band together in the wake of this tragedy and not allow it to wedge us further apart,” Jones added.
California State Assembly Member Carl DeMaio also issued a statement regarding the shooting.
“I am shaken and deeply saddened by the news of the shooting of Charlie Kirk. My prayers are with Charlie, his family, and loved ones during this painful time,” DeMaio wrote in a press release.
DeMaio continued: “Charlie Kirk was targeted simply for standing up for free speech and for giving students the chance to hear both sides of the debate. He showed courage and tenacity in the face of threats and hostility, and this attack should be a wake-up call to all Americans. We must stop the dangerous rhetoric that demonizes political opponents. If we don’t, violence will follow.”
Kirk visited the University of California, San Diego campus in May as part of his American Comeback Tour, during which he visited college campuses throughout the country. Reportedly, an estimated 1,100 people attended the UCSD event.
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