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> Media Pool'We lost a hero': Tampa Bay community mourns Charlie Kirk after deadly shooting
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As authorities search for the killer responsible for the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, people across the political aisle are mourning his loss.
"It's completely against anything that anyone should stand for, especially in the United States of America," Gunner Mitchell, the president of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans, said.
Mitchell said the videos circulating of the shooting at Utah Valley University left him "disgusted" and worried about the growing threat of political violence, but undeterred to speak up about his beliefs.
Kirk has been credited for energizing young voters as the founder of the Turning Point USA organization.
The Student Action Summits that have taken place at the Tampa Convention Center have drawn thousands of young conservatives to the area. The most recent one took place in July.
Notable figures that have visited include President Donald Trump in 2022.
Kirk's open debates and commentary, which have gone viral online, inspired conservatives to become involved.
"He was murdered doing exactly that. Showing people it's OK to speak up. It's OK to disagree, but more importantly, it's OK to debate, and unfortunately, someone thought that he shouldn't be debating and they murdered him," Mitchell said.
Kirk's reach to younger voters resonated with those like Logan Banks, another member of TBYR.
"I was shocked that we had lost a hero," Banks said. "Charlie was an inspiration. I really wouldn't be the man that I am today without him."
Banks said Kirk's voice gave him and younger generations the confidence to speak out about traditional values that resonated with them, even if they didn't seem popular.
In an Instagram post, Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, who was also part of Turning Point USA, wrote she wouldn't be in office without Kirk.
"When I decided to run for office and no one would help me, my own party worked against me… he endorsed me," she wrote in part.
Kirk's death has also been condemned by figures from different political spectrums.
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor wrote on X, "Political violence has no place in the United States. These senseless attacks are wrong, no matter your political party. I am thinking of Charlie Kirk and his family during this time."
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch also wrote on their X accounts condemning the fatal shooting.
"While I strongly oppose his views, political violence is never justified. In St. Petersburg, we resolve our differences through dialogue and democracy—not hate or violence," Welch said.
Have they found the shooter who killed Charlie Kirk?
As of Thursday, Sept. 11, authorities are still working to identify the person who assassinated conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
During a Thursday morning press conference, state and federal officials said they now have good video footage of the suspect — who they described as appearing to be college-age and someone who "blended in" with the college population at Utah Valley University, where the fatal shooting took place in an open-air amphitheater.
FBI officials released a photo of a person of interest on Thursday, seeking the public's help to identify the person.
TEGNA Digital contributed to this report.
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WTSP
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