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Pa. politicians denounce political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk killing | TribLIVE.com
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Pa. politicians denounce political violence in wake of Charlie Kirk killing

Megan Trotter
Megan Trotter
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Megan Swift | TribLive
Charlie Kirk (center) handing out Make America Great Again hats during an appearance last September at the University of Pittsburgh.
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AP
Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Politicians throughout Pennsylvania reacted with shock and horror to the shooting death Wednesday of Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.

Kirk was killed while speaking at a college in Utah, almost a year after his visit to the University of Pittsburgh.

After the shooting, Republicans and Democrats alike took to social media to denounce political violence.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro posted about the incident on X.

“Political violence has no place in our country. We must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society,” the governor wrote.

Videos on social media from Utah Valley University in Orem show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone when a shot is fired. Kirk is seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from his neck, the Associated Press reported.

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman condemned political violence in a post.

“We must find a better way forward,” Fetterman said.

U.S. Rep Chris Deluzio, D-Fox Chapel, shared a similar sentiment.

“We resolve our disputes at the ballot box, not with bullets,” Deluzio said.

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, a Republican from Pittsburgh, posted that he and his wife, Dina McCormick, were praying for Kirk and his family.

“This horrifying trend of political violence in our country must come to an end,” McCormick said.

U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly, R-Butler, also posted on X that Kirk’s family was in his prayers.

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County Republican, posted, “Political violence is despicable — morally wrong, fundamentally un-American, and intolerable in any and all forms. It cannot continue. We must stand together, across every divide, to reject it completely and recommit ourselves to resolving differences through dialogue, not destruction.”

In a call to action, U.S. Rep. Summer Lee referenced the three students who were shot Wednesday at a high school in Colorado in addition to the shooting that resulted in Kirk’s death.

Democrat Eugene DePasquale, Pennsylvania’s former auditor general, responded to a post from Utah Gov. Spencer Cox.

“The Governor is correct. Any person responsible must be held fully accountable. And my thoughts are with Charlie Kirk and his family and friends. This is unacceptable,” DePasquale wrote.

The Carnegie Mellon University College Republicans re-posted a photo of Kirk with the caption “Pray for Charlie” on their Instagram story Wednesday evening.

Pitt representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Megan Trotter is a TribLive staff writer. She can be reached at mtrotter@triblive.com.

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