ALABAMA (WHNT) — Devastated and demanding change: those are just a couple of the ways Alabama officials are responding to the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“This is such a heartbreaking moment. Not just for the Republican Party, not just for conservatives, but for America,” ALGOP Chairman John Wahl told News 19.
Kirk was shot and killed while speaking to students on a Utah college campus. Wahl said he was a friend of Kirk’s and is shocked at the news.
“A sobering moment from America. And I think we need to, as a culture, grow from this and learn from it,” Wahl said.
Kirk was a popular conservative commentator among younger generations, known for debating students on college campuses across the country. He had nearly 8 million followers on TikTok and over 5 million followers on X.
“He brought a different perspective,” Wahl explained. “Just his willingness to say, ‘Look, you don’t have to be politically correct’. He was definitely one of our greatest leaders, on the conservative side, when reaching out to young people.”
Wahl recalled shots being fired at President Trump and the shooting death of the Minnesota Speaker of the House, Melissa Hortman, and her husband in the last 15 months. He said he believes this is another example of political violence and is calling for change.
“I would call on, you know, the left as well as the right to calm the rhetoric,” Wahl said. “Let’s have an open and honest debate about issues and not resort to name-calling, and try to come together as a culture, as a society, and respect one another.”
Wahl said he wants both sides of the aisle to work together in the wake of this deadly shooting, and hopes both parties will hold each other to the standard of civil, respectful debates in Charlie Kirk’s honor.
Several other Alabama leaders, including Governor Kay Ivey, released statements regarding Kirk’s death.
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