Murder met with both shock and celebration on campus
After the September 10 assassination of prominent conservative political activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University by an avowed leftist, college campuses across the country erupted into hotbeds of political strife. Students have publicly vandalized memorials erected for Kirk, taunted those at vigils with words like, “F— y’all homie dead,” and posted videos on social media dancing to music while “Charlie Kirk shot” sits at the top of the screen.
Notre Dame is no different.
Students took to the anonymity of the school’s Fizz social media page—available only to those with a campus email—to express their feelings after the Wednesday assassination. While the posts predominantly expressed sympathy for Kirk’s family and disgust over the act of political violence, some sharply criticized Kirk and expressed relief at his death.
“Charlie Kirk is a s—ty person and debater,” one person wrote. Another said, “I think that’s why people don’t care about [Kirk] getting shot. He showed over and over how little respect he has for many groups of people, so why should they respect him.”
Many criticized Kirk’s opinions on abortion and Second Amendment rights. One post said, “Charlie Kirk saying if his 10 year old daughter got assaulted he would make her carry the baby … there is a difference between political opinion and genuine hatred so f— the sympathy bulls—.”
Another posted a news headline titled, “Charlie Kirk Says Gun Deaths ‘Unfortunately’ Worth it to Keep Second Amendment” and added the caption, “At least he died doing what he believed in.”
One post compared Kirk to fascist figures Benito Mussolini and Joseph Goebbels, the minister of propaganda for the Third Reich: “Do you think there were any Italians that were like ‘pray for Mussolini he was a father’? Or Goebbels?”
Another complained, “Acting like y’all really care about Charlie Kirk is just you putting on a ‘moral high ground’ show. Wrap it up.”
Some reactions were not so anonymous. Days after the assassination, Notre Dame student newspaper The Observer ran a column titled, “What Charlie Kirk got wrong about Black women.” In this column, the author condemned Kirk’s “right-wing extremist” remarks, belittled him for dropping out of college, and declared that “his racist remarks are inevitably a part of his legacy.”
Such statements reflect a wider trend of the sentiments among young leftists towards political violence. A YouGov poll from December 2024 found that a plurality of 18-29 year-olds had a favorable view of United Healthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione, with self-described Liberals disproportionately likely to approve of him. Another poll from July 2025 found that 49 percent of self-described left-of-center respondents believe assassinating Elon Musk would be at least partially justified, and 55 percent said the same about President Donald Trump.
Some students on Fizz reacted with indignation to the celebratory sentiments. One post receiving over 2,000 upvotes said, “Pray for Charlie Kirk … Whether u agree with his beliefs or not he is a Christian with a wife and kids.”
Another said, “I don’t personally agree with Charlie Kirk’s beliefs but this should NEVER happen to someone, no matter who they are and what they believe in.” A third post said, “Charlie Kirk has a four year old daughter and a two year old son. … Get a grip and reflect on how awful of a thing this is to say.”
Others expressed concern for the implications of free speech in America: “I don’t personally agree with what Charlie Kirk has to say but it’s scary that a person who is a symbol for freedom of speech in this country is being silenced.”
The Rover interviewed students on campus and met with club leaders to hear their reactions. Jerry Vielhauer, President of the Notre Dame Student Body, told the Rover, “We condemn political violence, especially on college campuses, and our thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk’s family.”
BridgeND’s president, Sophia Combs, said, “Political violence has no place in America, especially on college campuses. The horrifying event yesterday was an attack on the nation’s ability to engage in meaningful dialogue. We will not have a democracy if we cannot productively talk with one another.”
Many students opened up about their worries over the extreme political divide. A freshman student from Duncan Hall told the Rover, “We need to tone down the rhetoric in this country. When your political party calls people Hitler and calls people fascists, you are going to have people truly getting brainwashed into thinking that’s true.”
Some were more forceful in blaming the left specifically for the attack. A Sorin Hall resident told the Rover, “This isn’t a both sides issue. Since 2020, we’ve seen BLM activists down cities, multiple transgender terrorist attacks, two assassination attempts against President Trump, anti-White stabbings, the Charlie Kirk assassination, and more.”
Many were blunt in their condemnation of the celebratory reactions. A sophomore in St. Edward’s Hall said to the Rover, “I find it disgusting that people were celebrating … the death of a Christian, a father, and a husband.”
A Stanford Hall resident said, “What I learned today is that the left would celebrate if me or my family were killed, since we are also pro-life and believe in the Second Amendment. People always talk about the need for ‘open discourse’ but how exactly do you have a dialogue with someone who wants you dead?”
Some students, rather than addressing the assassination, voiced their worries about gun violence. One senior told the Rover, “What’s most tragic about this scenario is the fact that we are overshadowing the rampant gun violence in America and it’s being politicized and we are ignoring the real people in the issue.”
A senior in Flaherty Hall said that Kirk’s assassination was “representative of the gun violence in America.” Another student claimed that “social media overshadowed the root of the issue, which is the gun violence in this country.”
Notre Dame College Republicans denounced Kirk’s murder in a statement released by the Executive Board, also referencing the recent Charlotte subway stabbing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska by a convicted felon, and the Minnesota Catholic Church shooting, where a transsexual man opened fire during Mass, killing two children. The club led a prayer for Kirk and called for “immediate action” to be taken in response.
College Democrats president Alex Young condemned the assassination in a statement to the Rover, saying, “We are numbed by the horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is never acceptable in the United States of America.”
Leaders of Notre Dame’s Turning Point USA Chapter provided this statement to the Rover: “In this tragic time, no matter the reactions of others, it is important that our Catholic community perseveres in their commitment to the truth because our mission transcends life and death. Christians across the globe are experiencing violent persecution, but as Jesus Christ said in the Gospel of John, ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.’”
Raymond Webber is a sophomore philosophy major. His favorite hobby is pondering philosophical questions on long walks. Contact him at rwebber2@nd.edu.
Shri Thakur is a senior studying Economics, French, and Constitutional Studies. He is returning to the Rover after a long exile in France. You can reach him at sthakur3@nd.edu.
Lucy Spence is a junior majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and piano performance, with a minor in philosophy. Reach her at lspence@nd.edu.
Editor’s Note: This article has been changed since publication. The Observer article was an individual column, not an editorial.
Photo Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gageskidmore/38696382190
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