Charlie Kirk at Utah Campus moments before being fatally shot. September 10th, 2025. Photo Credit: Free Malaysia Today
Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking at a student event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, later dying in a nearby hospital.
Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, was hosting a “Prove Me Wrong” event where he encouraged Utah Valley University (UVU) students to come by and debate him on his political opinions. That was when Kirk was shot potentially from a roof on a building on campus, according to Utah officials cited in a CBS story, and the suspect, who has no known motive, is still at large.
With the incident occurring on a college campus, different Kennesaw State University students had strong reactions to the news.
“When I heard the news, I was shocked,” said one KSU student. “It is sad to hear people celebrate the death of anyone, no matter how controversial.”
“It’s an absolute shame,” said another KSU student. “And it makes me question the safety of all campuses around the nation.”
“The immediate feeling was utter shock,” KSU senior Bryce McConnell said. “I’ve never personally agreed with Charlie Kirk on a lot of prominent opinions, but hearing that he was shot was unbelievable.”
Upon hearing the news of Kirk’s passing, McConnell and his colleagues arranged for a prayer circle on the Campus Green on Wednesday, where many different friends and fellow students were invited to join.
“It was supposed to be mostly comfort,” McConnell said. “We invited people from a lot of different backgrounds and opinions to pray with us.”
KSU is no stranger to political activities and debates occurring on campus. With this incident also occurring on a college campus, some students have concerns on how heated disagreements can get.
“I think it mostly has to do with dehumanizing people,” McConnell said. “I may disagree with certain ideologies, but I still view the people as people. People are just dehumanizing the other side regardless of what they’re saying.”
“I definitely think it can cause a lot of friction for sure,” McConnell said. “There’s not really a great way of going about it. Just be human and treat people with respect. That’s the best way you can handle anything.”