A senior pastor at a historic Alexandria, Virginia, church condemned the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Sunday while denouncing what he called the veneration of Kirk’s life and politics.
Rev. Dr. Howard‑John Wesley, preaching at Alfred Street Baptist Church, said “Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be assassinated,” but added that he was "overwhelmed seeing the flags of the United States of America at half‑staff, calling this nation to honor and venerate a man who was an unapologetic racist and spent all of his life sowing seeds of division and hate into this land." Wesley also said in the sermon that "how you die does not redeem how you lived. You do not become a hero in your death when you are a weapon of the enemy in your life."
Wesley’s remarks, reported by Fox News, came as Kirk’s supporters gathered at the Kennedy Center in Washington for a memorial service. The founder of Turning Point USA was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Authorities have taken a 22‑year‑old suspect, identified by prosecutors as Tyler Robinson, into custody. Local reports say investigators are collecting surveillance footage that may show the killer fleeing the scene. Kirk is survived by his wife and two children.
Wesley criticized what he described as selective outrage, saying some people who were vocally upset by Kirk’s death had not shown similar concern for other politically motivated attacks. He referenced the June shooting that killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, saying many who expressed anger over Kirk’s death had not "give[n] a damn" about that earlier killing.
The pastor’s sermon occurred while high‑profile speakers, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and House Speaker Mike Johnson, addressed mourners at the Kennedy Center. At the service, Johnson urged people to honor Kirk’s memory by "living as Charlie did," saying that would best preserve the activist’s legacy.
President Donald Trump ordered American flags at government buildings to be flown at half‑staff following Kirk’s death, and Kirk’s family has received a wave of public support since the shooting. Comedians and commentators have framed the killing in broader terms; among them, Jay Leno called the slaying "the death of free speech."
Representatives for Alfred Street Baptist Church did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Kirk’s death remains under investigation, and officials have said the suspect is in custody as authorities continue to gather evidence.
