Following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez immediately pointed to guns and Republican inaction as the root cause of the tragedy.
“Words are important, but action is what matters most,” AOC told reporters. “Every single day, people die because of gun violence, and every single day, members in this building vote against measures to prevent it.”
According to university officials, Kirk was shot around 12:20 p.m. by a gunman firing from a nearby building. The suspect remains at large after two individuals were briefly detained and released.
Just moments before the attack, Kirk had been responding to a question about transgender mass shooters when the fatal shot rang out.
Reactions poured in from across the political spectrum. President Trump urged prayers for Kirk, calling him “a great guy from top to bottom.” Vice President J.D. Vance, Senator Mike Lee, and Fox host Pete Hegseth all echoed similar calls for prayer.
Meanwhile, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro condemned the violence, stressing: “Political violence has no place in our country. We must reject it with moral clarity.”
