Killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk reverberates across SLO County

The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk reverberated across San Luis Obispo County on Wednesday with politicians and community members joining to condemn the political violence.

Kirk, the right-wing firebrand and founder of Turning Point USA, was hosting an event on a college campus in Utah, much the same as he did at Cal Poly in March 2024, when he was shot in the neck.

Kirk was giving a presentation at the campus for his “American Comeback Tour” when he was hit by a single shot fired from a nearby rooftop, according to NBC News.

In a statement on X, Congressman Salud Carbajal summed up much of the response, saying he was “horrified” to learn of Kirk’s murder and calling for a full rejection of political violence.

A suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested on Friday in St. George, Utah, after a two-day manhunt.

SLO County politicians, community members respond to Kirk’s death

The broad-daylight killing sent shock waves across the nation, sparking an outpouring of grief and anger, along with tributes to a man who proved himself to be a critical influencer who could activate conservative young people.

Erik Gorham, spokesman for the SLO County Republican Party, saluted Kirk in a statement to The Tribune.

“RPSLO very much respected Charlie Kirk as a conservative leader, and we know he was a young man and left behind a wife and two children,” he said. “We respect what he did and send our condolences to his family and his supporters. Right now we’re waiting to find out what happened before we make a full statement, who the shooter was.”

Carbajal, who represents San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, said he was “horrified to hear about Charlie Kirk’s murder.”

“My thoughts are with his family, friends, and the Utah Valley University community. Political violence is never acceptable. It must be fully condemned and rejected,” Carbajal said.

In a post on Facebook, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow called Kirk a “great man.”

“We are devastated by the cowardly and evil act of the murderer that took the life of Charlie Kirk, a great man, today in Utah,” he wrote. “Charlie Kirk was very open and bold about his faith in Jesus and publicly stated that he had been forgiven of his sins and had received the promise of eternal Life in heaven by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ. This means that Charlie Kirk is more alive right NOW than he has ever been before because he is instantly with Jesus in Heaven.”

Former SLO County Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham condemned the shooting and called for unity in a post on X.

“Praying for @charliekirk11 and our nation,” he wrote. “We are all Americans. Violence against each other is wrong. Tolerance is a virtue.”

On Instagram, The SLO County Democratic Party reposted a simple statement from momsdemandaction.org, saying “Gun violence doesn’t care about ideology.”

That was followed by posts noting Kirk’s killing was not the only shooting on Wednesday.

“Today, Wednesday September 10, there have been two school shootings. One in Evergreen, Colorado. One at Utah Valley University,” the party wrote. “Guns are the problem.”

Atascadero Councilmember Susan Funk urged people reject violence in politics, in a post on Facebook.

“Political violence has no place in American society,” she wrote. “Today, a young father was assassinated while presenting his political views, and he should have been free to do that like any other American, no matter what you thought of his views. Please join me in condemning his murder.”

In a post on Facebook, Yessenia Echevarria, a community activist from Paso Robles, echoed that sentiment, “There’s zero tolerance for political violence.”

Charlie Kirk visited Cal Poly in March 2024

Charlie Kirk had just launched a new speaking tour of American college campuses when he was shot and killed.

In an earlier tour, he stopped in San Luis Obispo and spoke to Cal Poly students on March 7, 2024, at a pop-up debate event sponsored by the college’s Turning Point USA chapter.

Kirk hosted his “Prove Me Wrong” table on Dexter Lawn, where participants discussed issues like abortion, gun control and free speech, according to a story by Mustang News.

Kirk was on campus for about two hours, sitting beneath a black tent with a microphone with a large crowd of supporters and protesters gathered before him.

Agricultural systems management sophomore Travis Smith told Mustang News that he thought Kirk’s appearance brought people together.

“Well, we just love Charlie Kirk,” Smith said. “We love watching him on the internet, and we support what he supports and we just wanted to come support him and hear what he had to say.”

Connor Winnen, co-chair of Young Democratic Socialists of America at Cal Poly, had a different take, saying Kirk was the leader of a hateful organization that aims to “spread fascism everywhere,” Mustang News reported.

“It would be awesome if there was no one at his booth and no one engaging him in conversation,” Winnen said. “He has media training. He has memorized talking points. He is probably able to make it look like he won the argument, and even if you completely own him and you win the argument, he can just cut that out of their propaganda.”

At one point during the event, a crowd of more than a hundred people began to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

The event was also marked by protesters from multiple student groups who marched through the Cal Poly campus at the same time as Kirk’s visit, chanting “Charlie Kirk has got to go” and “Turning Point has got to go.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 5:12 PM.