Charlie Kirk Assassination: Hope and Prevention

“You can’t silence an opinion by ending its life…you only prove its weight” (Charlie Kirk).

As a Christian parish nurse, I felt the need to address the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Most reasonable caring people agree that this horrific crime was not only an evil act of violence but completely unamerican. While our brilliant founding fathers were most certainly flawed people, they were inspired to set up a unique system that has worked for the United States for 250 years. It’s built on the freedom to worship as desired and speak boldly but peacefully while holding different opinions.  Basically, we agree to disagree and work to change hearts and minds. Political violence of any kind is forbidden!

Charlie Kirk died because he was exchanging challenging points of view with college students. Though his body is buried in the ground…Christians believe that he is alive with Jesus in Heaven. But just as seeds are buried in the ground and rise into beautiful plants and flowers, Charlie’s ideas have taken root and will spread across the world. To that end I wanted to share areas of hope and offer things to watch for in a troubled young person who may choose violence over discourse. First…hope.

Zachary’s Letter
My nephew is a 34-year-old welder who manages a small team of plant workers.  He was inspired to write the following.

“To those that have been privy to recent events… Anyone that knows me, understands that I do not make daily posts of the ongoings of my personal life, but in light of recent events and hatred, I did want to share my opinion.

We currently live in a world where we have lost our ability to agree to disagree. Left or right, I don’t care where you align, if you condone the actions of what happened to Charlie Kirk and his family on 9/10, you are unfortunately the source of what is wrong with our country. To praise the assassination of someone just because you disagree with their beliefs, shines a very bright light on what has been wrong with our country.

At the end of the day, a mother has been widowed, two children will grow up without their father in their life, and an advocate who stood up for what he believed in was eliminated from existence due to a difference of opinion and momentum in their movement.

I don’t care if you lean left or right, if you support what happened yesterday, unfortunately you are the problem.  I hope that we can come together as a nation, regardless of our political beliefs and that no more family’s will be shattered due to misalignments in beliefs, or in hopes to push a political agenda.

America truly has lost its ability to agree to disagree or have a conversation with those that don’t align with the beliefs they hold true to their hearts. I truly hope and pray that we as a nation can come together and not continue to tear this rift open even further between each other. If this resonates with anyone then I believe we truly can carry on the legacy of what Charlie stood for and his memory will amount to his movement and not be defined by what happened yesterday.

Zachary C”

I’m hopeful that more people will step up like Zachary and push back the insanity.

Prevention: A Call to Action
What are we to do to end this violence? First pray for our nation and our trouble young people who have become poisoned by evil thoughts and actions. Vulnerable, depressed teens are at the greatest risk. They need our love and compassion to help them sort things out and good mental counseling. 

What are the Warning Signs of Mental Illness?
Knowing when to be concerned regarding a loved one is the first step. Schizophrenia, autism, depression and even some anti-depressants have shown to increase violence in disturbed adolescents and young adults. Some on the following list may raise insight into a developing problem and can be present in a variety of mental disorders.

–Excessive worrying or fear

–Continued feelings of sadness

–Confused thinking

–Extreme mood changes

–Frequent angry outbursts

–Avoiding friends or social activities

–Problems relating to people

–Sleeping too much or too little

–Eating too much or too little

–Changes in sex drive

–Experiencing delusions or hallucinations

–Lack of insight

–Overuse of alcohol or drugs

–Complaints of multiple physical ailments

–Intense fear of weight gain

–Inability to carry out daily activities

In addition, authorities reported that Charlie Kirk’s shooter spent hours on computer games and social media. Science is only beginning to understand the trauma on children allowed to spend hours on computer games and how this may impact normal brain and social development with regards to mental health over time.

Where to Go for Help
The pastors of local churches are generally aware of good professional counseling in their area. You can call any church, and they would most likely be happy to help and offer resources. As a Christian parish nurse, I would certainly start there. Focus on the Family has a website with referral information at focusonthefamily.com. They will search a zip code for a Christian counselor.

Access to Guns
If you have a teen or young adult struggling with a mental illness, please limit their access to guns! It was reported that Kirks’ shooter was given his grandfather’s powerful hunting rifle used in the assassination. While the 2^nd Amendment protects Americans with the right to own a gun, certainly responsible parents must protect disturbed individuals from firing them on innocent people as best they can.

On A Personal Note
I will confess I haven’t been very good about reaching out to those around me who have become possessed by some of this harmful ideology. However, Charlie Kirk’s assassination was a wakeup call for me to get more involved because he was killed simply because he held a different view from the perpetrator. He was on that campus inviting angry students to exchange ideas, challenge thinking and hopefully, change their hearts and minds.

He was also a devout Christian, who encouraged young men and women to return to church. Charlie taught that the Bible was inspired and written to guide our lives in the path that produces the most peace of mind and joyfulness… not to punish us. He died living out that faith in Jesus.

His death was a watershed moment for me. I’m personally getting more actively involved with a local political group who is partnering with a new high school Turning Point chapter to help get them started.

May God bless each one of you with wisdom and courage as Charlie Kirk displayed and please pray for our nation and leaders on BOTH sides of the aisle.

And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us”

Then I said, “Here I am Lord! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8)

References:

1. Owens, “An Uncomfortable Truth: Does the Rise of Antidepressants & SSRI’s Fuel Mass Shootings?” Psychreg(January 30, 2023). https://www.psychreg.org/antidepressants-ssri-mass-shootings/

“Warning Signs and Symptoms of Mental Illness,” National Alliance on Mental Illness (2025). https://www.nami.org/about-mental-illness/warning-signs-and-symptoms/

Ankita Guchait, “Effects of Gaming on Kids: Aggression & Language,” Psychology Today (February 22, 2025). https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-realities-of-refugee-screening/202502/the-effects-of-gaming-on-kids-aggression-and

 

Wu, Dong, Liu & Li, “How Early Digital Experiences Shapes Young Brains 0 – 12 Years: A Scoping Review”, Early Education & Development (November 11, 2023). https://d197for5662m48.cloudfront.net/documents/publicationstatus/146084/preprint_pdf/67296863c4427ec7ce0e39a194ce67a3.pdf.

Focus on the Family. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/about/contact-us/

I’m a Christian nurse who helps people navigate the murky waters of healthcare

Author of Wake UP Call 911: It’s Time to Reduce your Risk for A Heart Attack and Stroke (2015) and Helping the Hurting: Nursing Ministry in the Body of Christ (2022).

Paperback copies of both books for sale. Email me for details at:  ask@jenniejohnsonrn.com.