Gun control activists and politicians in Canada are speaking out after American right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was killed during a rally in Utah.
Kirk died after being shot in the neck while speaking at a rally at Utah Valley University on Wednesday at around 12:20 p.m.
According to FBI Director Kash Patel, a suspect connected to the incident had been taken into custody yesterday, but was soon released after an interrogation.
Speaking with reporters Thursday morning, FBI and local authorities revealed that they have found a weapon in a wooded area, which they believe was used in the shooting. They also said they found footwear, palm and forearm prints, which are now being analyzed.
The FBI also released images of a “person of interest” in the shooting today, and is urging the public for help to identify him.
Kirk’s death prompted reaction from politicians across different political parties, both in the U.S. and Canada, who are now speaking out against gun violence motivated by politics.
In an X post on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Mark Carney said he is “appalled” by the incident, and extended condolences to the family of the victim.
“I am appalled by the murder of Charlie Kirk. There is no justification for political violence and every act of it threatens democracy,” he said.
I am appalled by the murder of Charlie Kirk. There is no justification for political violence and every act of it threatens democracy.
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) September 11, 2025
My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also offered condolences and called for justice and free speech.
“We must all strongly denounce the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is NEVER justified. The attacker must be brought to justice. And free speech must be upheld,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a video statement released by the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke in support of Kirk’s work in activism, particularly in reaching younger audiences.
Speaking against political violence, the president cited recent incidents, including a shooting against himself during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania last year that killed two individuals, and called out what he referred to as “the radical left” for the rise in hate-related to political discourse.
“It’s a long, past-time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” he said.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie [Kirk] to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Trump also vowed to go after individuals and organizations who contribute to political violence in the country, including “those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”
In recognition of Kirk’s death, the president has also ordered all flags in the country to be flown at half-mast until Sunday at 6 p.m.
At a 9/11 memorial at the Pentagon earlier today, he also announced he would be posthumously awarding Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest civilian award in the country.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox also spoke out online after the incident, calling on political leaders from different parties to speak out against violence, and said he will continue to share updates as authorities continue an investigation.
“Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life. Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act,” he said.
IS THE RISE IN POLITICAL VIOLENCE AFFECTING CANADA?
Kirk’s death is another example of a continuous rise in violence associated with politics that has been observed in the U.S. in the last few years.
Since the storming of the American Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 after former president Joe Biden defeated Trump in an election, there have been at least 300 cases of political violence in the country, according to a Reuters report.
Some of these recorded incidents involved disputes over controversial issues such as the Israel-Palestine conflict or LGBTQ+ rights in public protests and demonstrations, while others were widely reported on, including Trump’s shooting last year.
Toronto Metropolitan University Professor and President of the Coalition for Gun Control, Wendy Cukier, explains that although Canada has also seen a rise in violent incidents related to politics, they happen differently than south of the border.
While the U.S. usually has more incidents involving gun violence, and often targeted at high-end political figures, in Canada, violence appears through online hate speech and mostly non-physical attacks directed at certain groups.
“[Arming for self-protection] is simply not part of Canadian culture, nor is it part of our law. Where we see political violence in Canada, though, it’s typically right-wing extremists targeting equity-deserving groups,” she told Now Toronto.
“While in Canada, we don’t see as much evidence of physical violence directed at politicians…We certainly see politicians, and especially women politicians, subject to harassment and abuse and threats.”
The professor says that this kind of violence has significant impacts for individuals’ safety, mental and physical health, and can limit healthy democratic discussions.
According to her, this trend is largely driven by a rise in hate discourse by political figures, including Trump himself, who has often spoken out against Diversity Equity Inclusion (DEI) since taking office earlier this year.
“I think the discourse that flows over the border definitely impacts Canada. I see and hear things that I find unbelievably shocking that are clearly a result of disinformation, misinformation. We’re seeing a lot of spike in hate crimes, whether it’s Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, attacks on the South Asian community,” Cukier said.
The expert says that while Kirk’s death might have driven some attention into the issue, she believes that Canada needs to do more to limit prejudicial speech from continuing to grow in the country and prevent the situation from getting worse.
“Canada still has at least a veneer of politeness for the most part, but we’ve seen some cracks. We’ve seen some cracks, and I think we have to really hold on to our core values, regardless of what our political views may be on one issue or another,” she added.
