‘The devil is working.’ Kentuckians react to fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk
Kentucky leaders from across the political spectrum called for peace and extended well-wishes to the family of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative influencer who was shot and killed during an event in Utah Wednesday.
Kirk co-founded and was the public face of the popular conservative activist organization Turning Point USA, whose viral videos helped it grow into one of the most influential groups on the right. With a focus on social media content, the group has been credited with helping fuel a conservative swing among young male voters, a key demographic in President Donald Trump’s 2024 victory.
According to multiple reports, Kirk was shot in the neck and taken to a nearby hospital. A person was taken into custody following the shooting, but police have determined that person was not the actual shooter.
President Donald Trump confirmed in a social media post Wednesday afternoon that Kirk had died.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump wrote.
Kirk was 31.
Though he’s from Illinois, Kirk recently dipped his toe into Kentucky politics with an endorsement of GOP candidate for U.S. Senate Nate Morris. Morris, a Lexington tech entrepreneur, is one of several candidates lining up to replace longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell, who is not seeking reelection in 2026.
“Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and his family,” Morris posted on X shortly after news of the shooting broke.
In a later statement, Morris wrote that he’ll “never forget the energy in the room” when he shared the stage with Kirk at his launch in Shepherdsville.
“Words will never be enough to describe the sorrow I feel that the friendship we started building was cut so painfully and tragically short,” Morris said. “Folks traveled from hours and hours away to see him — and anyone who was ever privileged enough to spend time with him knows why: Charlie was smart, funny, witty, principled, articulate. But above all else he was a fundamentally good man.”
The other candidates for McConnell’s seat offered prayers as well. Former Attorney General Daniel Cameron asked people to pray for Kirk, and cited the shooting as evidence that “the devil is working.”
“Jesus, I pray for our nation. There’s an evil that is plaguing our people. The devil is working. Lord, let us turn our eyes to you. Lord Jesus help us. Help us, Jesus. We must repent. We call out to you, Jesus. As a people, we must return to you. In Jesus’s mighty name, amen,” Cameron wrote on X.
U.S. Rep. Andy Barr, another Republican who is running for Senate, also offered his prayers.
“I’m horrified by the attack on (Kirk) today. Please, all Kentuckians and Americans join me in praying for Charlie and his family right now,” Barr wrote.
The shooting comes as political violence is on the rise in the United States.
Trump was grazed by a bullet in a shooting that killed one bystander at a campaign rally last year. In June, Democratic state lawmakers in Minnesota were shot at their homes; a lawmaker and her husband were killed. A fire was set at the house of Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is Jewish, in April over the state of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Kentucky’s Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear joined in the condemnation of the shooting.
“I strongly condemn the senseless attack on Charlie Kirk today. Political violence has no place in the United States of America. It further tears our country apart and sets us back versus moving us forward. Violence is always wrong. Period,” Beshear wrote on social media.
Matt Jones, the popular host of Kentucky Sports Radio who has considered running for public office as a Democrat, called for unity in this moment.
“There’s too much hate right now in this country. We have to find a way to stop dividing each other. I am worried we are headed in a very bad path,” Jones wrote in a post.
U.S. Sen. Rand Paul wrote that Kirk was “an icon to so many young Americans” in a post, adding that he and his wife, Kelley, were “heartbroken” by the news.
McConnell called the news “horrific.”
“There is no place for political violence in our country. Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and his family,” McConnell wrote.
Kirk was a fierce critic of McConnell, stating at Morris’ launch rally that he was supporting Morris to “end the McConnell mafia.”
Scott Jennings, a Kentucky native and popular conservative commentator on CNN, said on television: “God help us, we’re in a bad place.”
Jennings, whose radio show is on the same network as Kirk’s, said Kirk bridged the gap between older Republicans and young conservatives in the country.
Fourth Congressional District Rep. Thomas Massie posted that his heart was broken for Kirk and his family. A free speech proponent, Massie also condemned political violence.
“Our country was founded on principles of free speech and open political discourse. Nothing justifies violence against any voice on the left or right of today’s debates,” Massie wrote.
T.J. Roberts, a Republican state representative from Northern Kentucky, shifted to a call for action that drew some criticism from Democrats. In a social media post shortly after the shooting, he blamed “leftism,” writing that it “must be eradicated.”
“It’s time to drop the pretenses. America is under attack by the Left. Leftism is a terroristic, death worshiping cult. Every semblance of it must be eradicated from this nation if we are ever to be at peace,” Roberts wrote, adding that “you cannot appease evil, you must destroy it.”
In a statement to the Herald-Leader, Roberts said he was not calling for violence.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 4:08 PM.
