Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has died following a sniper-style shooting that stunned the nation and sent shockwaves through Long Island’s political community. Local lawmakers expressed both grief and outrage, calling the killing a devastating escalation of political violence in America.
Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick said he was shaken after seeing video of the attack online. “That looked to me like it was done by a sniper,” Fitzpatrick said. “It wasn’t from the audience. It was a rifle shot from a distance, and it makes my blood boil. The left is just sick people—they can’t argue, they can’t reason, they intimidate and they try to kill you. Enough is enough.”
Fitzpatrick said Kirk’s death underscores what he called a double standard on college campuses. “Left-wing speakers can go to campuses and you don’t see this reaction, but when conservative speakers go up, this is what happens,” he said. “Charlie Kirk was effective at connecting with Generation Z and challenging students to think. That’s exactly what universities should welcome, but instead they’ve become indoctrination centers. His killing shows just how far gone things are.”
“As an American, you feel bad about our country when things like this happen,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine. “We need to turn away from violence and learn to talk, communicate, and seek common ground with one another. While we may disagree with someone, we should do our disagreement agreeably. We should never turn to violence.”
State Senator Dean Murray called the shooting “horrific beyond words.”
“There’s just no place for this kind of political violence in society,” Murray said. “Charlie Kirk was someone willing to engage, to invite the other side to have a conversation. And now he’s dead for it. That should chill every American to the bone.”
Murray said security concerns have already changed how elected officials interact with the public. “You wonder why more and more officials aren’t doing town halls anymore—this is why,” he said. “Two weeks ago, the State Senate installed panic buttons and cameras in my office. The fact that we need those kinds of measures in this day and age is appalling.”
Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano said Kirk’s death was the tragic result of escalating hostility toward conservatives. “This is another heartbreaking reminder of how dangerous our political climate has become,” DeStefano said. “We saw it with two attempts on President Trump’s life, the shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise, threats against Justice Kavanaugh, and now Charlie Kirk. The common thread is that it’s almost always conservatives in the crosshairs.”
DeStefano called for tougher prosecution of political violence and stronger protections for public figures. “We can debate policy all day, but when bullets start flying, democracy itself is at risk,” he said. “If universities can’t guarantee the safety of conservative speakers, then other authorities have to step in. We cannot allow intimidation and violence to win.”
“It’s heartbreaking that a father has been killed simply because he spoke his personal conviction and beliefs,” said Suffolk Legislator Dominick Thorne. “We must encourage more conversations over augments. We must hate but one thing: Hate itself.”
Local leaders agreed that Kirk’s death marks a dark moment for the country. “This is a turning point,” Fitzpatrick said. “We need to protect free speech and put an end to this political violence before more lives are lost.”