On Wednesday, Sept. 10, conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event rally, hosted at Utah Valley University.
In the wake of Kirk’s death, questions regarding the general safety and security of college campuses across the country remain, as gun violence persists nationwide.
The first stop in Orem, Utah, for Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” featured his signature “prove me wrong” debate format, where Kirk sat beneath a large tent, and students could participate and ask him questions.
Shortly after the rally began — as Kirk and audience members began to settle into the rhythm of debate — a shot rang out through the crowd of students, and before the crowd dispersed entirely, Kirk was quickly rushed to the local Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead that same afternoon.
A rally not unlike UVU’s took place on Oregon State University’s campus last fall in October 2024, and OSU students provided a large audience to the activist.
Olivia Augustus is the former president of the Oregon State University chapter of Turning Point USA — an American nonprofit organization co-founded by Kirk.
Augustus helped organize Kirk’s arrival to OSU last year, during his “You’re Being Brainwashed Tour”, where he visited the Memorial Union quad to debate students.
“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have hosted Charlie on our campus and to be a part of the effective movement he created at such a young age,” Augustus said. “Charlie’s passing was nothing short of heartbreaking for me and millions of others who looked up to him as a leader in conservative politics,” she continued.
Augustus spoke about her admiration for not just Kirk’s politics, but also his character as a “devoted father and Christian.”
For her, this is a time for Americans to come together in a time of mourning and move forward united in their differences.
“Charlie begins each of his events by asking those who disagree with him to come to the front of the line to engage in open discussion on issues, stating, ‘When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence,’ Augustus said. “They silenced this man the only way they could: taking his voice with violence…this tragedy is the turning point,” she continued.
Another student organization on campus also remembers Kirk, but rather for his targeting of a specific demographic at OSU via social media.
Christoph Anderson, a fourth-year natural resources student and prior vice president of the Rainbow Continuum, recalls his interaction with Kirk through an Instagram story, roughly a week before Kirk arrived at OSU in 2024.
“I was sitting in class and I got a notification about being tagged in a post,” Anderson recalls. “It was a post targeting the Rainbow Continuum, the Pride Center, and one of the cultural centers, basically saying that he was going to show ‘us who [he was]. ’
Kirk’s media team made various posts during his tour directed at various cultural and identity groups. These posts and comments raised concerns about the safety of those individuals during his time on campus.
Rainbow Continuum was known for their drag shows and other queer-based events, and these tended to require the help of campus security to keep a safe place for everybody. Anderson said, “We were used to having campus security at our shows to help us keep everyone safe.”
Anderson also noted that this close relationship was helpful at their next meetings, just two days after Kirk’s post, which turned out to be one of the largest attendances in a while.
“[Security] stood at the doors just in case,” Anderson said in response to any hesitancy to host that week’s meeting. “We were debating on cancelling, because to be honest, we were scared. We figured that it was a better show of resilience and resistance to have our meeting.”
Anderson said that he is focused on the potential for improved safety of queer organizations around the country.
“Honestly, I feel relief, because I know he did this across all campuses and targeted queer and people of color organizations,” Anderson said. “We were being actively targeted by a large influencer, and that’s terrifying. I’m relieved it won’t happen again on potentially this large a scale, but I do have sympathy for his family during this time.”
Nationwide opinions vary, and fears around violence on college campuses exist. The Corvallis Police Department recognizes the importance of safety and assurance in a college town. As Public Information Officer Ben Harvey said, “We work to balance risk assessment with the protection of individual rights, ensuring both safety and community trust.”
