The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk comes in the wake of increased political violence across the U.S. Most recently, Minnesota lawmakers have been targeted and shot, a governor's house was set ablaze, and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.Kirk’s murder comes just three months after Melissa Hortman, former Minnesota House of Representatives speaker, and her husband Mark Hortman were shot and killed in their home. On the same night, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvett,e were shot multiple times. They survived their injuries. Earlier in 2025, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s house was set on fire while he and his family slept inside. His family was uninjured. Last summer, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman fired several rounds at Trump. A bullet grazed Trump's ear, and firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed. Two other audience members were injured.The second alleged assassination attempt, just months later at a Florida golf course, was quickly quelled. Until the suspect has been caught, the motives for Kirk’s murder can not be tied to politics with certainty, but his death has sparked widespread criticism of political violence across the aisle.The Get the Facts Data Team compiled a timeline of recent high-profile and targeted instances of political violence in the country. The list is not exhaustive of all acts of political violence and begins with the 2011 shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords.Giffords was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in a supermarket parking lot. She survived, but six people were killed in the attack. Only attacks that targeted individuals were included. In August, a gunman fired hundreds of shots at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Police Officer David Rose was killed in the attack. Authorities have said the gunman was motivated by distrust in the COVID-19 vaccine. And notably on Jan. 6, 2021, a large mob of protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. Since the 2011 attack, Giffords has used her platform to advocate against gun violence in the country. “It is physically very hard for me to speak due to my injuries from getting shot, and after watching yet another political shooting violently steal someone’s life before our eyes, it’s even harder to find words,” Giffords said in a post on social media. “So I want to speak plainly to my former colleagues in Congress: Do something."Beyond actual attacks, threats against U.S. elected officials have been rising in recent years. A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of U.S. Capitol Police Data found that there was an 18% increase in threats against Congress members from 2023 to 2024. Capitol Police said that they're on track to have about 14,000 threats by the end of this year, which would be a 48% increase over the 9,470 threats received last year.PHNjcmlwdCB0eXBlPSJ0ZXh0L2phdmFzY3JpcHQiPiFmdW5jdGlvbigpeyJ1c2Ugc3RyaWN0Ijt3aW5kb3cuYWRkRXZlbnRMaXN0ZW5lcigibWVzc2FnZSIsKGZ1bmN0aW9uKGUpe2lmKHZvaWQgMCE9PWUuZGF0YVsiZGF0YXdyYXBwZXItaGVpZ2h0Il0pe3ZhciB0PWRvY3VtZW50LnF1ZXJ5U2VsZWN0b3JBbGwoImlmcmFtZSIpO2Zvcih2YXIgYSBpbiBlLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdKWZvcih2YXIgcj0wO3I8dC5sZW5ndGg7cisrKXtpZih0W3JdLmNvbnRlbnRXaW5kb3c9PT1lLnNvdXJjZSl0W3JdLnN0eWxlLmhlaWdodD1lLmRhdGFbImRhdGF3cmFwcGVyLWhlaWdodCJdW2FdKyJweCJ9fX0pKX0oKTs8L3NjcmlwdD4=
OREM, Utah — The killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk comes in the wake of increased political violence across the U.S.
Most recently, Minnesota lawmakers have been targeted and shot, a governor's house was set ablaze, and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.
Kirk’s murder comes just three months after Melissa Hortman, former Minnesota House of Representatives speaker, and her husband Mark Hortman were shot and killed in their home. On the same night, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvett,e were shot multiple times. They survived their injuries.
Earlier in 2025, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s house was set on fire while he and his family slept inside. His family was uninjured.
Last summer, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump faced two assassination attempts.
At a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a gunman fired several rounds at Trump. A bullet grazed Trump's ear, and firefighter Corey Comperatore was killed. Two other audience members were injured.
The second alleged assassination attempt, just months later at a Florida golf course, was quickly quelled.
Until the suspect has been caught, the motives for Kirk’s murder can not be tied to politics with certainty, but his death has sparked widespread criticism of political violence across the aisle.
The Get the Facts Data Team compiled a timeline of recent high-profile and targeted instances of political violence in the country. The list is not exhaustive of all acts of political violence and begins with the 2011 shooting of Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords.
Giffords was shot in the head while meeting with constituents in a supermarket parking lot. She survived, but six people were killed in the attack.
Only attacks that targeted individuals were included. In August, a gunman fired hundreds of shots at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Police Officer David Rose was killed in the attack. Authorities have said the gunman was motivated by distrust in the COVID-19 vaccine.
And notably on Jan. 6, 2021, a large mob of protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol to prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.
Since the 2011 attack, Giffords has used her platform to advocate against gun violence in the country.
“It is physically very hard for me to speak due to my injuries from getting shot, and after watching yet another political shooting violently steal someone’s life before our eyes, it’s even harder to find words,” Giffords said in a on social media. “So I want to speak plainly to my former colleagues in Congress: Do something."
Beyond actual attacks, threats against U.S. elected officials have been rising in recent years. A Get the Facts Data Team analysis of U.S. Capitol Police Data found that there was an 18% increase in threats against Congress members from 2023 to 2024.
Capitol Police said that they're on track to have about 14,000 threats by the end of this year, which would be a 48% increase over the 9,470 threats received last year.
