On Sept. 10, 2025, conservative activist Charlie Kirk — founder of Turning Point USA — was tragically assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. As of publication, police have released a photo of a suspect, but haven’t confirmed an identity yet. The story spread quickly online and has started another round of debates about political violence and free speech.
Here at Ukiah High, some students and teachers shared how they felt about the news.
Junior Jonas Ingle said he respected Kirk’s openness and knowledge, even if he didn’t always agree with him. “I would never wish death on anyone, especially not like that in front of thousands to see, including kids,” Ingle said. Junior Wyatt Foster also said he thought the attack was wrong. “I don’t think he should have been shot for what he said. He may have been a political person, but he wasn’t trying to change laws — he was just trying to speak on a college campus and hear others’ opinions.”
Junior Eli Cohen said he first heard the news through “chatter on campus” and checked his phone to confirm it. He said that while he didn’t agree with most of Kirk’s views, “nobody deserves to be shot in the neck. He had a right to be there, he had a right to speak, and he did a really great job of getting kids in our country involved.”
English teacher Michael Riedell said that debate and discussion are essential parts of being on a campus. “Whatever you think about his politics, what Charlie Kirk was doing was mostly just getting into debate. Which, especially being on a school campus, that’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” Riedell said. He added that free speech is one of the most important parts of democracy, saying, “An attack on him really is essentially an attack on American democracy.”
Other students spoke more critically of Kirk but still said violence wasn’t the answer. Senior Kayla Luevano said she often disagreed with him but stressed that he was still a person with a family. She added that his death also shows how serious the problem of gun violence is in America. Sophomore Ann Marie Brown also spoke critically and said the shooting showed how dangerous political disagreements can become. Sophomore Zoey Palmer said she disagreed with his views but felt sympathy for his family, and said political violence is never the solution.
UJunior Coltan Gourley offered a more nuanced perspective, saying, “His opinions of things are iffy — sometimes they’re good, sometimes they’re not. He’s a good father, a good political and faithful person, but him as a person is debatable.”
Junior Lucus Fradella said that while he disagreed with some of Kirk’s politics, he also felt Kirk had a right to share his views on campus. Lucus told UHS News that he believed Kirk had been reconsidering some of his positions and that political disagreements should never lead to violence. He emphasized that, “Just because you don’t have the same opinion doesn’t mean you should be shot. It’s your First Amendment right.”
Science teacher Adam Lane summed it up simply: “I don’t think anyone should be killed based on what they believe or what they’re speaking out for or against. I think it’s a pretty sad state of what our politics has become.”
Students and staff at UHS had different perspectives on Kirk himself, but everyone agreed that political violence has no place in society.
Kyla Cromer
Savannah Kram
Savannah Kram is a junior at Ukiah High School and in her second year of Journalism. She is involved in the Drama department, in her third year. She is a pretty involved student, now taking on Speech and Debate this school year. She joined the journalism class for new experiences, to write about local and current events, and to bring awareness to subjects that have yet to be shown under the spotlight. She was born in Ukiah, California raised in a different state, being back here made her more inspired to become more involved within the Ukiah community. She is ecstatic to continue her journey at Ukiah High News this school year and hopefully continue in journalism in the future.
Briana Goodson is a Junior and a journalist at Ukiah High School. In her free time, Briana enjoys reading books and writing. She also enjoys cheerleading and has done it for many years. She joined the journalism class because she wants to write about things that will keep her peers updated.
She was born in Ukiah California which makes writing things about her community hit close to home. Briana thinks of herself as hardworking but still knows how to show her goofy side. Not only is this Briana’s third year writing for the journalism team at Ukiah High she looks forward to writing for journalism in her Senior year for her last year.
Zach Stewart
Zach Stewart is a sophomore at Ukiah High, Zach has lived in Ukiah his entire life. Zach is a fire cadet for UVFA, Zach signed up for journalism because he enjoys learning about fires across California and wanted to start writing about them. Zach likes fishing and trap shooting, Zach wants to be a firefighter for Cal Fire once he graduates.
Josette Mealey
Josette Mealey is currently a junior attending Ukiah High School. In her free time, she enjoys writing poetry and reading about the world around her. Originally from Decatur, Illinois, Josette has loved the unique feel of Ukiah since she was six years old. In recent years, she has been interested in local politics and has wanted to be an active member in her school and community. She wanted to take journalism so that she could get a deeper insight into the news articles she reads every day. Email her at josette_mealey27@uusd.net.