RICHMOND, Va. — College students across Central Virginia are processing the news of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination at Utah Valley University's campus on Wednesday, with many expressing concern about the broader implications of political violence in America.
CBS 6 spoke with students at VCU and Randolph-Macon College to gauge their reactions to the incident. Their responses revealed a mix of shock, concern for the victims, and worry about the state of political discourse in the country.
"When I first heard the news I immediately thought, where are we now in our overall culture that there is too much of a jump to violence when there is a political disagreement," said Dean Schweichler, a VCU student.
Joshua Brizendine, a Randolph Macon student, emphasized the human cost of such violence.
"I thought it was a terrible thing no one should lose their life or anything. Death is not, gun violence is not okay," Brizendine said.
Several students reflected on how the incident fits into broader conversations about violence and political disagreement in America.
"I didn't like the guy, but I don't think anybody deserves to die for their views," said one Randolph Macon student. "I think that is a bad precedent to set for the country. I think it's very destabilizing."
Justin Giles, also from Randolph Macon, called for compassion despite political differences.
"He's still a man we shouldn't be celebrating and everything because he's still human. In today's society we live in a world where everything is going bad so we've got to take care of each other and love one another," Giles said.
VCU student Jaidyn Earley connected the incident to broader discussions about gun violence.
"I was like, wow, because I knew who that was but was like, he be talking about gun violence and ownership. And I saw something recently this morning that said that gun fatalities are the automatic consequence of gun ownership and I guess that's what happened to him but it is unfortunate because he does have a family," Earley said.
Other students expressed concern about the impact on families and the need to focus on constructive change rather than division.
"I do feel really bad for his wife and his kids, but at the same time I didn't agree with anything he said. But then again, nobody deserves to go through something violent," said Hazel Hardesty, a VCU student. "I’d like to bring up kids in Gaza are suffering as well, so this is no worse than what they go through on a daily basis.”
Zamara Murphy from Randolph Macon emphasized looking toward the future.
"I really wanted to think about it and focus on about what it's going to mean for the future and policy and change, and I am hoping it won't just be used to push more hate forward," Murphy said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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