Ava Herrera
Bulldog Learning About Charlie Kirk Incident
On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University when he was fatally shot. Kirk was a far-right political activist who brought up many controversial topics in public debates that spoke at many colleges. There was a 33-hour manhunt for the perpetrator after the incident, and as of Friday, September 12, the individual has been arrested according to BBC. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson is now detained in Utah County jail for “suspicion of aggravated murder and other felonies,” says The New York Times.
Mr. Kirk’s family was at the scene when he was murdered. Erika has been mourning the loss of her husband and has been seen only a few times on live television trying to process having to see her husband murdered only mere feet away. Sadly, just like most young children who would be confused and not understand the complex system of death, Charlie’s three year old daughter asked her mom where her father was. Erika told her daughter “he’s on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your blueberry budget,” as she said in a public speech. “Stay strong. God is good, and I hope they’re ok,” says Gavin Ausband, a Junior Bulldog. On the other hand, Palisade Sophomore, Jack Yu, states that if he were to see the widow and young children he would give them a hug. “I don’t think they need someone to tell them how they’re feeling. I just think they really need support right now.”
Many students from Palisade who supported Kirk were very distraught over the news. “I think nobody should be killed for doing anything, but much less just talking to people,” says Ausband. Ausband stated that while he agreed with some things that Kirk would speak about, he also disagreed with other things. Yu was in the same boat, he stated, “I disagreed with Charlie Kirk and some of the things he said, however, I think it’s really admirable that he stood up for what he believed in and he fought for ideals that he thought were best for the country.” Erika stated that her husband’s legacy will reign on through her, not letting her husband be forgotten.