Sep 15, 2025 By Karen Mansfield 5 min read

Political leaders from both parties in Pennsylvania have condemned the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed during an appearance at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Kirk, 31, the father of two, was co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and appeared frequently on college campuses and other settings to engage in political conversations.

The shooting has again raised national concern over the rise in political violence, and has raised safety fears among those serving in local, state and federal offices.

According to research from the University of Maryland, which tracks political violence, the U.S. experienced about 150 politically motivated attacks in the first six months of the year – nearly twice as many as over the same period last year.

The U.S. Capitol police reported they are on track to address 14,000 threat assessment cases involving congressional members, up from 9,000 last year.

“We are in a bad place, and political violence is quantifiably on the increase,” said Dr. Kevan Yenerall, professor of political science at PennWest University, who noted the killing of Kirk is the latest in a string of acts of political violence that have spanned the political spectrum. “Political violence is not new, but we’re in a precarious spot because we fit all the variables that traditionally contribute to political violence, so it’s incumbent upon political leaders of all stripes to offer reason and calm, to denounce political violence and to not seek retribution.”

In a Sept. 11 Facebook post, state Sen. Camera Bartolotta (R-Washington) – who herself has been the target of threats and harassment – urged people to “choose unity, compassion, and peace over division and violence” and to “recommit ourselves to condemning political violence in every form and embrace the importance of free speech and open debate in our public forum.”

“I am gravely troubled by the direction of our beautiful country as we confront yet another act of political violence with the assassination of Mr. Charlie Kirk, a husband and father of two. No matter our political views, violence can never be the answer.”

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gov. Josh Shapiro, whose home was set on fire in April as he and his family slept, called the attack on Kirk “horrifying” and said political violence has no place in the U.S.

“We must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying, and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society,” he wrote.

State Rep. Jason Ortitay (R-46th District) wrote, “We must stop hating one another over politics. We must stop seeing ‘the other side’ as evil, unworthy or expendable. Because when we do, we risk losing the very foundation of what we are, a democratic republic, where debate is the mechanism by which truth and justice move forward.”

In the wake of Kirk’s death and amid rising threats, Congress members are taking greater security precautions or canceling events.

At the state level, Bartolotta said Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward urged lawmakers to take additional precautions after former Democratic Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot in their Minneapolis home in June. State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, also were shot, but survived.

“We got a message to be careful, keep our doors locked, be aware of where you are, know your surroundings, know who’s coming in. It’s just getting so ugly and so crazy,” said Bartolotta.

Cindy Fisher, a longtime member of the Cecil Township Board of Supervisors, said she believes the level of vitriol “has gotten significantly worse” in the last decade, and that social media has contributed to it.

She said she has received threats “that have risen to the level of needing to file a police report.”

Fisher admitted there have been times when the level of hostility aimed at her has made her wonder if she should leave public life.

“Anyone who says they haven’t thought that isn’t telling the truth,” she said.

Bartolotta said she has received death threats, and last year, her home address and Google Earth photos of her house were posted on social media.

“It just seems to be that our culture in general has degraded rapidly over the past several years,” said Bartolotta. “I believe social media plays a factor, where people can put on their pajamas, sit on a couch and be keyboard warriors, and throw out hate and vitriol that gets rewarded by others. People feel emboldened and so removed from society and responsibility and accountability. It’s such a dark moment right now.”

Diana Irey Vaughan, Executive Director and CEO of the City Mission, served as a Washington County commissioner for 28 years, and said she received several threats of violence against her during her last term.

“In those last four years, I received threats of violence that I had not before in my first 24 years,” said Irey Vaughan. “We have seen a sharp decrease in civility post-COVID. It’s so sad to see how violent our community is becoming toward individuals who voice their political opinions and serve in public office. My greatest concern is that it will deter good people from seeking public office.”

Yenerall said it’s important to tamp down the heated political rhetoric, and he encourages his students and others to get facts from reliable news sources, not from “wildly divergent sources” found on social media posts that are filled with misinformation or disinformation.

Yenerall, too, worries that fewer people will decide to serve in roles at the local, state, and national level. “The political violence makes it difficult to get good leaders willing to serve in this capacity,” said Yenerall. “And that is exactly what we need right now.”

Brad Hundt contributed to this story.