A Texas State University student drew condemnation after video shared online shows him repeatedly reenacting the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA memorial on the San Marcos campus.
The footage, circulated on social media and reposted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, shows the unidentified man confronting attendees, making slapping motions to his neck while shouting profanities and spitting near people gathered Monday. Abbott called on the university to "expel this student immediately," saying in a post that "mocking assassination must have consequences."
Eyewitness video shows the student cursing as he slaps his own neck and says, "Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b***h," before repeating the motion and vibrating his body as if recoiling from a bullet's impact. The footage shows the individual climbing a nearby statue, dropping to the ground after again mimicking the motion, and walking away while uttering a racial slur. Attendees at the memorial appeared shocked by the conduct.
Texas State President Kelly Damphousse said the university is aware of the "disturbing" interaction and has instructed officials to "take immediate steps to identify the individual in the video." In a statement, Damphousse said behavior that "trivializes or promotes violence is reprehensible and violates the values of TXST. It will not be tolerated." She added that "If this individual is found to be affiliated with TXST, appropriate action will be taken" and that expressions glorifying violence or murder have no place on campus.
Turning Point USA, the conservative student organization hosting the memorial, was among those present during the incident. The actions captured on video prompted calls from public officials and campus leaders for swift disciplinary measures. Abbott said such conduct is not acceptable at state schools.
The Texas State incident follows a similar episode last week at Texas Tech University, where a student identified as Camryn Giselle Booker was recorded dancing and chanting after a campus vigil for Kirk. Booker, 18, was filmed shouting and allegedly slapping another student's hat. She was arrested on a simple assault charge, transported to the Lubbock County Jail and is no longer enrolled at Texas Tech, a move Abbott praised.
Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors in Utah on Tuesday charged 22‑year‑old Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm causing serious bodily injury and obstruction of justice. Authorities said they will seek the death penalty.
Prosecutors have cited a text message allegedly sent by Robinson to a partner and a note left beforehand in which the suspect referred to an opportunity to kill a leading conservative voice and said he intended to take it. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said acquaintances of Robinson told investigators the suspect's politics shifted left in recent years and that he spent much time in "the dark corners of the internet." FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News that when investigators asked Robinson why he would kill the conservative influencer, Robinson allegedly replied, "Some hatred cannot be negotiated with."
Candlelight vigils and memorials for Kirk have been held across the country since the shooting, and some events have been met by counterprotesters who praised the killing online or at inperson gatherings. Campus officials and law enforcement agencies have responded to several incidents, and some schools have taken disciplinary or legal action where assaults or threats were reported.
Texas State has not yet released information on whether the individual in the video has been identified or on any disciplinary outcomes. Damphousse said the university would act if affiliation with Texas State is confirmed. Abbott and others have urged universities in the state to pursue expulsions or other sanctions when students are implicated in conduct that glorifies or mimics violence.
The investigation into Kirk's killing in Utah remains active, and Robinson has been held on the charges filed by prosecutors. The developments at Texas State and Texas Tech highlight tensions on college campuses following the high‑profile slaying and the public reaction to it.