(Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate)
Mason Chapter of TPUSA Responds Following Assassination of Right Wing Influencer Charlie Kirk
BY BARRETT BALZER AND SAM DOUGLAS, NEWS EDITORS
At Mason, members of the College Republicans were joined by Mason’s chapter of Turning Point USA Wednesday evening for their weekly meeting, held in the basement of the Fairfax Republican Headquarters. About a dozen students attended the roughly hour-long discussion the same day right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of Turning Point USA, a popular figure among conservatives, and frequently engaged in debates on college campuses across the country.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said during a press conference. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
News of Kirk’s death sparked strong reactions on campuses nationwide. Especially at Mason.
“The news hit hard,” said Xavier Quiroga, the internal president of College Republicans at GMU, who described Kirk as a personal inspiration. Members expressed both grief and anger over the killing, with some cautioning of the potential that this incident could further divide people. “This should be a time of political unity,” chapter president Blake Reed said. Others, however, were eager to place blame on “cultural marxists” and “deranged leftists.”
“The left just hates us and wants us dead,” one member of the audience said during the meeting.
The shooting led to an outpouring of condolence messages from former and current political leaders, including President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Here at Mason, Reed also expressed grief, stating “It was a shame, I was really hoping to bring Mr. Kirk to campus.”
(Sam Douglas/Fourth Estate)
Mason President Gregory Washington sent an email Thursday evening offering support services,“There is a lot happening in the world and across the country right now which may be affecting the way you navigate your classes, your time, and your lives. With that thought in mind, we condemn the senseless murder of Charlie Kirk at a university event and we condemn political violence in all its manifestations. It is leading us down a path to which there is no recovery,” the email read.
College Democrats of America also issued a statement on Instagram condemning the assassination. “Charlie Kirk’s shooting today at Utah Valley University is an inexcusable act of political violence, which the College Democrats of America vehemently denounce,” their statement read. The Fourth Estate reached out to @GMUdems for a comment but did not receive a response to the request.
During Wednesday’s meeting, members raised concerns about security at future campus events. Two days after the attack, Mason’s office of Risk, Safety, & Resilience sent an email to all students encouraging them to stay prepared.“We encourage you to become familiar with the university’s recommended procedures on how to prepare for and respond to emergencies that may occur on campus,” the email read.
