Charlie Kirk’s death seen as ‘beginning of a darker chapter’ in US unrest

The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event has ignited alarm across America, seen by many as another ominous sign in a surge of political violence increasingly normalised in public life.

While the shooter’s specific motives are still under investigation, the killing of such a high-profile ally of President Donald Trump has poured fuel on the embers of partisan rage, threatening to ignite a more destructive and unpredictable chapter of civil unrest.

Swelling waves of political violence

Kirk’s death is not an isolated incident but the latest and most prominent flashpoint in a clear and disturbing trend. According to data from the University of Maryland’s Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), the first six months of 2025 saw over 520 acts of terrorism and targeted violence, a nearly 40% increase from the same period in 2024, resulting in 96 deaths.

More alarmingly, mass casualty attacks, those with four or more victims—have surged by a staggering 187.5%. Charlie Kirk’s killing joins a grim roster of recent attacks: the arson of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home, the ambush and killing of a Minnesota legislator and her spouse by a gunman posing as law enforcement, and attempts on President Donald Trump’s life.

These incidents illustrate that political violence is no longer isolated or extreme, it is now woven into America’s political fabric. As Michael Jensen, a research director at START, said, “the warning signs of growing civil unrest in the US are evident” in the data.

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Rhetoric turns dangerous

Reactions to Kirk’s death have revealed and intensified deep fractures in public discourse. Political leaders and media figures from the right have accused the “radical left” of cultivating incendiary rhetoric, while voices across the spectrum express concern that inflammatory language, coupled with weapon access and social media echo chambers, is accelerating the risk of violence.

President Trump, in particular, described radicals on the left as “vicious and horrible and politically savvy,” distinguishing them sharply from those on the right, whom he said were radical mostly because of concerns over crime. Such statements, critics argue, blur lines between critique and incitement.

This rhetoric of war and retribution from the highest levels of power has experts deeply concerned. Political analysts warn that such language can easily be interpreted as a call to arms by individuals already primed for violence. “All it takes is somebody with a grievance and a gun or a grievance and access to some sort of weapon, and you have a recipe for more violence,” said one expert. “It doesn’t take an army to inflict violence on people.”

While leaders from both parties, including former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, issued swift condemnations of the attack and all political violence, their calls for unity were nearly drowned out by the drums of war. In the wake of the shooting, prominent politicians cancelled public events citing safety concerns and historically Black colleges went on lockdown after receiving threats, illustrating a nation on high alert.

Defining the challenge ahead

While the motives behind Kirk’s killing are still under investigation, including the significance of strange inscriptions on the gun’s casings, many experts warn this incident could mark a turning point. It’s one that might enlarge a cycle of grievance, retaliation, and political violence.

Researchers tracking political violence (such as those from the University of Maryland’s START database) observe that the nation is nearing a crossroads: whether political violence remains episodic and condemned, or becomes a recurring and destabilizing norm.

Some analysts draw historical parallels to the 1960s but caution the current moment may be more dangerous due to rapid radicalization via social media, widespread access to firearms, and rising levels of distrust in institutions.

What comes next

Preventing this from becoming a darker chapter in US history will demand more than rhetoric. Experts recommend stronger protection for public figures, stricter event security protocols, better regulation of firearm access, and crucially, de-escalatory leadership that resists inflammatory speech. Broadly supported interventions, community violence prevention, education programs, and robust counter-extremism efforts are also seen as essential.