Prime Minister Mark Carney as well as Conservative lawmakers in Canada are reacting to the assassination of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot in the neck during a Sept. 10 event in Utah.
Kirk, the founder of the conservative national student organization Turning Point USA, was speaking at Utah Valley University on the first stop of a new speaking tour when he was shot and was later declared dead.
“I am appalled by the murder of Charlie Kirk. There is no justification for political violence and every act of it threatens democracy,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said in the evening of Sept. 10. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones.”
Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre commented on the incident shortly after the shooting.
“We must all strongly denounce the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is NEVER justified,” Poilievre said in a Sept. 10 X post. “The attacker must be brought to justice. And free speech must be upheld. Pray for Mr. Kirk and his family.”
Poilievre was joined in condemning the shooting by other Conservative MPs.
“Dear Lord, please spare Charlie Kirk,” Conservative MP Andrew Scheer wrote before it was confirmed that Kirk died as a result of the shooting. “This is just sickening.”
Conservative MPs Michael Barrett and Michelle Rempel Garner also took to social media with prayers for the 31-year-old Kirk.
“Praying for Charlie Kirk, his wife, and their young children,” Barrett wrote, while Rempel Garner encouraged people to “pray for Charlie Kirk and his family.”
“No political violence. Uphold free speech. The attacker must be brought to justice,” she added.
Fellow Conservative MP Andrew Lawton described the shooting as an assault against free speech.
“There is a special place in hell for those who seek to settle disagreement with bullets. Political violence is deplorable and despicable,” Lawton wrote. “Free speech is sacred. Charlie Kirk is an unequivocal defender of it, for himself and his critics.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said she is “saddened and horrified” by the assassination of Kirk.
“Political violence has no place in a free and democratic society and must be condemned without reservation,” Smith said.
Manitoba’s NDP Premier Wab Kinew also spoke out against the killing of Kirk later on Sept. 10, saying that political violence is never the answer. “The killing of Charlie Kirk is deeply disturbing. Violence has no place in democracies. Our condolences to his wife and children,” Kinew said.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad also offered his thoughts on the shooting, saying it was an attack on conservatives.
“I’m deeply disturbed to hear about the shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a college campus in Utah,” Rustad said on X. “It shouldn’t be a danger to your personal safety to be a conservative — or any kind of political figure or pundit. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Kirk and his family at this time.”
Liberal MP Anthony Housefather also reacted to Kirk’s killing, saying he prays for Kirk’s family.
“I hope that those on this & other platforms that repeatedly personally attack people & incite hate against them look at this and see the potential real life consequences of targeted hateful rhetoric,” Housefather wrote on X.
Turning Point USA has more than 250,000 members, according to a website for Kirk’s 2020 book, “The MAGA Doctrine.” Kirk addressed the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year in support of Trump and to share perspectives on life in America from young people.
He was married to businesswoman Erika Kirk, with whom he had a daughter born in August 2022 and a son born last year.
Authorities said a single round was discharged, with the shooter firing from the Losee Center building about 200 metres away from Kirk. Police evacuated Utah Valley University, cancelled classes, and placed the campus on lockdown in the aftermath of the shooting.
The FBI released images of a “person of interest” in Kirk’s shooting Sept. 10, but a manhunt is still underway to arrest the suspect.
Kirk was rushed to the hospital, where doctors first listed him in critical condition, before declaring that he has passed away.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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