Violence Is Not the Answer. Policy Is. Statement on the Tragic Charlie Kirk and Evergreen High School Shootings

Yesterday, two horrific acts of gun violence shook the nation: the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk during a public appearance at Utah Valley University, and a mass shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado, where multiple students remain hospitalized. These events, one political and one educational, underscore a grim truth—our country is in a crisis of violence that continues to go unaddressed.

Indivisible Smith County condemns gun violence in all its forms, political or otherwise. Our movement is firmly grounded in nonviolence. We believe lasting change is built through civic action, protest, dialogue, and policy—not through fear, hatred, or harm.

We extend our condolences to Mr. Kirk’s family and his loved ones as well as to the Evergreen High School community during this difficult time. No one should fear for their safety while speaking, learning, or simply participating in public life.

Our grief must be matched by action. The time for symbolic gestures and empty platitudes is over. We need real solutions:
• Pass federal gun safety legislation that includes universal background checks, red flag laws, and a ban on assault-style weapons.
• Eliminate all federal restrictions on research into gun violence, allowing scientists and public health experts to study its causes and propose evidence-based solutions.

We cannot continue to normalize a situation where students are shot in classrooms and public figures are gunned down on stage. Enough.

We will continue to organize—not only in opposition to violence, but in defense of a democracy where everyone is safe, and every voice can be heard without fear.

⸻Indivisible Smith County
www.indivisiblesmithcounty.org