TAMPA, Fla. — Republicans in the Tampa Bay area say they are still struggling to comprehend the assassination of Conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Just hours after Kirk was killed in Utah, members of the Tampa Bay Young Republicans expressed shock.
“After watching that video, it hurt my stomach,” said the group’s president, Gunner Mitchell. “It made me absolutely sick. I wanted to throw up. I was in disbelief.”
WATCH: Young Republicans in Tampa Bay reflect on Charlie Kirk's impact, visits to the area
Kirk’s ties to the region stretched well beyond the gulfside home he owned in Longboat Key. He had spoken multiple times in Tampa Bay and made a lasting impression on young Conservatives like Mitchell.
“He’s focusing on the Conservative fight,” Mitchell said. “Not a physical fight, but the ideological and mental fight.”
Through his group, Turning Point USA, Kirk helped bring national Conservative figures to Tampa Bay. This past July, the organization hosted its Student Action Summit at the Tampa Convention Center. The event drew thousands of students and well-known right-wing speakers, including Tucker Carlson, Pete Hegseth, and Kirk himself.
Kirk also spoke at the University of South Florida in February, discussing politics with students in an event similar to the one in Utah where he was killed.
In an Instagram message, the president of the USF College Republicans called the assassination “a profound loss,” and said Kirk was one of his inspirations to get involved in politics.
Mitchell agreed. While he hopes political rhetoric cools on both sides of the aisle, he said Kirk’s death should not silence those he motivated.
“Protect yourself, protect your family, protect your ideas, and speak up,” Mitchell said. “Because that’s how we change this country.”
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