REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. - The deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sparked strong reactions across the country, including in Rehoboth Beach, where locals expressed grief, shock and deep concern about what they call the growing trend of political violence in America.
The Associated Press reported at 4:48 p.m. on Sept. 10 that Kirk died according to president Donald Trump, after being shot while hosting an event at Utah Valley University.
Rehoboth local Rae Romano said even at the beach, the news still lingered.
“Shocking. Sad. Just very shocking. Very sad,” Romano said. “It’s very unnecessary. I can't believe the evil that comes out into people for the dislike of one person. It's pure evil.”
Tatiana Colon, also at the beach, echoed the feeling of disbelief.
“I was pretty much in shock,” she said. “You would think in places like that, with so many people, that the security would be how it should be.”
Romano emphasized that she sees the act as a reflection of people, not weapons.
“It’s the people,” she said. “Are we going to ban cars because they hit somebody? Are we going to ban alcohol? Or a knife or a pencil? No. Anything can kill. It’s the person.”
Colon disagreed, pointing to the role of guns in mass violence.
“It’s the gun as well,” she said. “If the laws were stricter, I feel like there wouldn’t be as many school shootings or people walking in public places shooting at people. But today’s society doesn’t want to hear any of that.”
Despite their differences on the cause, both Romano and Colon agreed that political violence appears to be rising and both expressed fear for what it might mean going forward.
Jeremy Backstrom is an assistant professor with Widener University. His expertise are in political violence. Backstrom tells CoastTV that the shooting highlights a growing threat of political violence dividing the nation, and the need for leaders to work together to address it.
"It's something that is permeating our society, and it's affecting school aged children all the way up to adults. It cannot be just, 'oh, it's gun control, or it's just mental health.' It's a complex array of issues and our policymakers really need to go and take this to heart." said Backstrom.
Leaders across Delmarva on both sides of the aisle are speaking out in response to Kirk’s death.