Our community is rocked. Our state is shaken. As Utah residents and as people committed to peacemaking and civic engagement, we are heartbroken by the tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
While we wait for authorities to provide further clarity, what we do know is this: Violence — no matter the motive — is devastating and unacceptable.
Our hearts are with Kirk’s wife, children, extended family, the Turning Point USA community and the UVU campus community. No one should fear for their safety while sharing their opinions and beliefs. No one.
This tragedy happened here in Utah, and it threatens to rupture how we should see and treat one another.
The “Utah Way” is more than a slogan — it’s a long tradition of collaboration, compassion and community. The best of our Utah values can guide us in how we respond.
We understand being overwhelmed by the weight of the current moment. Collectively, we work across the country with individuals and communities to navigate difficult conversations and bridge deep divides in challenging times.
We know it can feel hard, and it will take courage and empathy. We have seen small steps make a difference — and there are simple ways you can start today.
- Focus on your response. Each of us has a choice in this moment. Can we resist the urge to assign blame to entire groups for the actions of one individual? Do we escalate the rhetoric, or do we lower the temperature? This starts with how we speak, how we listen, how we show up online and in our communities.
- Check on your people. Reach out to young adults, students, neighbors and friends. Ask how they are navigating and understanding the unfolding event. Let them know you care and that they are not alone.
- Recognize our shared values. We all value freedom of expression. We all value family. We may disagree on many things but we can agree that the death of a young father is tragic and that no one should be killed for sharing their opinions in a public forum. Let’s build on those shared values and commitments.
- Seek reliable information. It can be painful to wait for information after a tragedy. Those who profit from our political divisions sometimes fill the void with misinformation and calls for retaliatory violence. We can be patient as additional details from authorities are released and try to not make assumptions about the circumstances and motives.
Rather than letting tragedy divide us, we can turn toward one another. We must view the rise of political violence as “our” problem that we have to address together without assigning all of the responsibility to the “other side.”
Utahns have a long tradition of showing up with compassion and caring for each other. We each have a role and a responsibility here. We can choose dignity over division. We can disagree better. We can heal together.
It begins with each of us.