A student at Texas State University has been expelled after video circulated online showed the individual reenacting the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an on-campus memorial, the university said.
The footage, shared widely on social media, shows an unidentified man approaching attendees at a memorial hosted by Turning Point USA, mimicking a gunshot to the neck while repeatedly slapping his own throat and verbally taunting those gathered. Eyewitnesses and video show the student climbing a statue, reenacting the motion, then falling to the ground as if struck. Afterward the student walked away from the crowd while using profanity and a racial slur, according to the video.
Texas State President Dr. Kelly Damphousse confirmed in a statement that the university had identified the person in the video and that the individual “is no longer a student at TXST.” Damphousse said federal privacy laws prevented the university from releasing further details about the matter but added that the behavior was “reprehensible” and inconsistent with university values. She warned against attributing the actions of one person to the broader student body or to specific student organizations, saying such generalizations were unfair and could heighten anxiety on campus.
The incident prompted rapid public condemnation. Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared video of the interaction on his social media account and called for immediate disciplinary action, saying the conduct was unacceptable in schools. Abbott wrote that “mocking assassination must have consequences.”
The mocking of Kirk’s killing at the Texas State memorial followed a similar episode at Texas Tech University last week. Authorities there arrested an 18-year-old student, Camryn Giselle Booker, after video showed her celebrating and chanting about Kirk’s death at a campus vigil. Police charged Booker with simple assault after an altercation with another student and she is no longer enrolled at Texas Tech, officials said.
Kirk, a conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Prosecutors in Utah have charged accused gunman Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors have said Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted.
At Robinson’s first court appearance, prosecutors outlined what they described as evidence including an alleged text message confession to an acquaintance and a note left beforehand saying the attacker had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices and intended to do so, according to court filings. FBI Director Kash Patel said in a media interview that when asked why he had allegedly killed Kirk, Robinson replied, “Some hatred cannot be negotiated with,” as relayed by investigators.
In the days after Kirk’s death, candlelight vigils and campus memorials honoring the conservative activist have been held at colleges and other venues across the country. Several of those gatherings were met by counterprotesters or by individuals who praised or celebrated Kirk’s killing online and in person, prompting arrests and disciplinary actions at multiple institutions.
Texas State officials said they were focused on campus safety and urged measured responses from the community. Damphousse wrote that while the university would not tolerate behavior that “mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence,” it also would not accept attempts to cast blame on innocent students. The university did not release the name of the expelled student, citing federal privacy protections.