Political activist Charlie Kirk died Wednesday after he was shot on a college campus during an outdoor debate event.
The conservative was no stranger to the Bluegrass.
He visited the University of Kentucky campus back in 2023, during his ‘Live Free’ tour.
His death is now a topic of conversation at many Kentucky campuses.
“I wanted to get into politics from a young age, and Charlie really affirmed that dream,” UK student Alex Martha said. “It’s just a shame to see him go so early. He’s had a huge impact on the youth.”
Martha said Charlie Kirk was not just a conservative activist, but a role model.
In light of Kirk’s death, UK students say social media posts from Gen-Z users have been mixed.
Some posts call for more gun control, while others offer thoughts and prayers to the Kirk family.
“Regardless of what your views are, I feel like this is just a time of mourning,” UK Freshman Jeb Baird said.
The students said that they feel this death will not only spark conversation about the political climate on campus but also hopefully increase safety when speakers come to visit.
“I mean, I feel safe here on a day-to-day basis, but when it comes to things like that, I don’t feel super great,” sophomore Annie Roark said.
Roark said giving guest speakers space at indoor venues and increasing security measures on campus could help prevent something like this in the future.
“I feel like if we were to have an event like this, get as many police as possible,” she said. “I feel like there’s only so much you can do.”
Some students WKYT talked to on campus say there was nothing that could have prevented the attack, but that it could open the door for conversation.
“Charlie’s death will be remembered for sure, and the way it happened, I feel like there will be a lot more changes,” Baird said.
(Photo: Charlie Kirk only moments before he was fatally shot on the campus of Utah Valley University, courtesy of ABCNews.com)
