Neighbor turned on neighbor after Charlie Kirk's killing. Is the divide here to stay?
A year after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, the campus community continues to grapple with a deep social and political divide. Security experts note that the event marked a shift in the landscape of political violence, where everyday individuals are now increasingly targeted by online harassment.
Why it matters
The article explores the long-term societal impact of political violence and the erosion of civil discourse in American academic and public spaces.
A week into fall semester at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, the campus's grassy, terraced courtyard bakes under the heat of full late August sunlight. The sound of trickling water from a fountain that meanders through the space beckons students to stop, chat and unwind. But Collin Grannis, who graduated over the summer, said the space hasn't had much activity since Charlie Kirk was assassinated there last year.
"It used to be very lively. People doing homework, people taking their food to eat outside, people to hang out. I remember people taking naps on the grass, like right in that area," Grannis recalled. "And it's been fully cleared out because people have that association with it."
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in