Charlie Kirk’s assassination highlights a history of political violence in the U.S.

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, has raised alarms about the scourge of political violence in the United States, escalating anxieties about the safety of public figures on both sides of the ideological spectrum

The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, has raised alarms about the scourge of political violence in the United States, escalating anxieties about the safety of public figures on both sides of the ideological spectrum.

Kirk’s killing was the latest in a series of attacks and threats targeting a range of American political figures, from President Donald Trump and members of Congress to governors and judges. Kirk was not an elected official, though he wielded influence as the founder of conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and a close ally of the Trump administration.

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“I was not, in any way, surprised” by Kirk’s killing, said Michael Jensen, a researcher at the University of Maryland who tracks such violence in a domestic terrorism database. Jensen said he has seen an increase in attacks targeting what he characterizes as “government entities” — legislators and candidates, as well as officers carrying out immigration enforcement actions.

“You cannot simply say it’s coming from the left, it’s coming from the right [or] it’s coming from the fringe. It’s coming from everywhere,” Jensen said.