On Wed. Sept. 10, conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31 years old, was the founder and CEO of Turning Point U.S.A. and host of the popular radio show, “The Charlie Kirk Show.” According to his website, Turning Point USA is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to rallying, organizing, and empowering students to advocate for principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.” 

The shooting occurred during one of Kirk’s stops on his Turning Point U.S.A. tour, where he visited school campuses across the United States. 

For Generation Z, the shooting was one of the first instances that the generation witnessed mass news headlines regarding a major political figure being shot and killed. 

Dr. Bryan Santin, English professor, said, “While it is difficult to tell how the Charlie Kirk assassination will impact young adults today, since it is still so fresh, I think it may impact them in ways that are analogous to how the John F. Kennedy assassination impacted the Baby Boomer generation.” He quoted American novelist and essayist Don DeLillo, who stated in his essay, “American Blood,” that the Kennedy assassination became “our major emblem of uncertainty and chaos.”

He believes that Kirk’s assassination may impact Generation Z the same way. “The Kirk assassination may come to serve as a defining image of disorder for a new generation, shaping their sense of history, politics, and cultural identity,” Santin said. 

On the same day, a shooting also took place at a Colorado high school. Two students were injured, and the shooter fatally shot himself. A few weeks prior, on Aug. 27, a shooting occurred at a Minneapolis Catholic school, resulting in two fatalities. These events, along with the shooting of Kirk occurring on a college campus, raise the question of how students and faculty should respond in the case of a violent intruder on Concordia’s campus.

Raul Morales, the director of the Department of Campus Safety, gave his input on how Concordia handles situations of violent intruders and potential school shootings or violence. 

“The Concordia Campus Safety personnel are great listeners, which is the best way to keep people safe. We always strive to create a partnership with students so that we can work together to prevent incidents and solve problems that can arise,” said Morales. 

Morales explained that the department works to fulfill its motto: “There is Safety In Service.” Campus Safety works to be visible, transparent, and caring for the people of Concordia. “This promotes all our partnerships on campus, which makes people feel comfortable in coming to Campus Safety for any and all concerns. This is the cornerstone of preventing crimes and helping before an incident occurs,” said Morales.

On Tues., Sept. 23, Campus Safety is hosting its annual Violent Intruder Response Training at DeNault Auditorium (Grimm Hall South). The training will take place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. with an hour of presentation, followed by an hour of exercise. Campus Safety is partnering with the Irvine Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for this training. For students who stay the entire session, they have a chance to win a prime parking space for a month or five free coffees at Eagles Landing. For those interested, RSVP at https://forms.gle/YmsgRhhvybXHEkNq6. 

Morales added, “Our employees are dedicated safety experts who truly care about providing a safe and tranquil environment so that educational processes can be achieved.” He invites students to contact Campus Safety at any point of concern and refer to the Campus Safety website for additional resources. The Campus Safety Department has a video on their website, along with further information on what students should do in the case of a violent intruder. Please visit https://www.cui.edu/campus-safety/critical-incident-guidelines. 

For any questions, contact campussafety@cui.edu.

Tags: Campus Safety, Politics

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