Students on Point Loma Nazarene University’s campus have had a mixed response to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing political activist, author and founder of the nonprofit Conservative organization Turning Point USA. According to AP News, it was less than two hours after Kirk was shot, on Sept. 10, when President Donald Trump announced on social media that Kirk had died. Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, is now in custody.
Chloe Boosalis, a second-year psychology major who does not consider herself Conservative, said she looks at it less from a political lens and more as the devastating loss of human life. While Boosalis said that there are things Kirk has said that she disagrees with, she believes he died unjustly.
“[Kirk] died simply for speaking his truth, for giving his opinion, which I think is shocking to see in 2025,” Boosalis said. “[We’ve heard] about the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and the Kennedys, but that felt like so long ago. To witness it in 2025 was shocking. Somebody was shot for speaking their mind. And whether you agreed with what he had to say or not, whether you hate him or not, he was killed because of his beliefs and his voice.”
Boosalis said that after posting about Kirk’s death, she lost followers on Instagram.
“You live in the United States and you are entitled to speak your mind,” Boosalis said. “If you choose to state that you hate him and that you do not sympathize with him or his family, you have the right in this country to say that. Then there’s the other part of me that’s like, ‘Wow, that’s an aggressive stance to take.’ I personally don’t understand it, but you are entitled to feel what you want.”
A source who has requested anonymity due to safety concerns decided to use their voice on campus. While they also believe that Kirk’s death was vile, they said they don’t like how some students have been reacting to the assassination. A memorial was set up next to the Jesus and Peter statue on Caf Lane on Sept. 16, and they said they decided it would be best for the student body if they removed it.
“[We didn’t remove it] because it was for Charlie Kirk, but because of what I believe was sacrilege and blasphemy on that memorial,” the source said. “It was low-key comparing Charlie Kirk to Jesus Christ. And also, [it was] right by the Jesus and Peter statue, which I thought was not great.”
They said another reason they decided to take it down was because of what Kirk stood for.
“I have just as much of a right to take it as they do to put it up,” the source said. “What Kirk stood for [referring to his anti-transgender and gun control comments] is horrifying to me. And for him to be glorified next to Jesus, that’s not OK with me.”
The Point spoke with Elsa Saunders, a third-year violin performance and commercial music double major from Utah Valley University, where the assassination occurred. She said that while PLNU may be experiencing political tension, UVU has been experiencing an outpouring of kindness.
“Not everyone has come back to campus yet,” Saunders said in a phone interview. “Going to classes is weird because [not all of] your classmates are there. They don’t feel comfortable back at classes. The halls are a lot sparser. But no matter where you go, there’s someone with a free hug T-shirt. So while it is weird and not everyone has come back, the people who have come back for classes or work have been incredibly welcoming and incredibly supportive. While it was an awful situation, people are really coming together.”
Saunders said that for there to be unity on a campus like PLNU, they need to see one another as human beings, focusing on their humanity rather than the politics.
“It’s really hard because people are entitled to their own political beliefs,” Saunders said. “But at the heart of this issue, what I think has gotten UVU to be more connected in community is because everyone’s letting go of their political beliefs in the face of the tragedy. Everyone has their own political beliefs, but it’s not [about] debating. It’s like, we’re going to support everyone around us, no matter how different our political beliefs are.”
She emphasized the importance of not starting conversations with statements like, “I believe what Charlie Kirk was saying was true [or false].” Rather, Saunders said it’s better to start conversations with statements like, “Charlie Kirk was a human being.”
“[Kirk’s] wife and children were there,” Saunders said. “Three thousand people witnessed this horrible thing, and it’s affected even more people — even [PLNU] has been affected by it, however many miles you guys are away from it. At the core, [it’s important to] break it down to the human aspect of it. We’re all humans. Everyone’s affected in a different way, no matter what they believe politically.”
Lindsey Lupo, dean of PLNU’s School of Humanities, Arts and Public Engagement, said that she hopes that one day the country can return to a place where people can speak freely without fear of punishment.
“My prayer as a Christian and my hope as a political scientist is that we return to a state of robust opportunities for discussion, deliberation and compromise, where we can express ourselves without fear of punishment or harmful condemnation or retribution and where we have access to alternative sources of high-quality, vetted information,” Lupo said in an email interview.
Connor Mathisen, PLNU’s director of community life, said he believes that common ground is possible at PLNU if people listen to each other.
“I would encourage students to continue talking to each other and sharing the variety of emotions they are experiencing,” Mathisen said in an email interview. “We are able to find common ground when we listen to one another and offer grace and love in the midst of disagreement. … We all work at PLNU because we care deeply for students and want to see them flourish.”
Tessa Balc 
Charis Johnston