A video went viral this week that shocked a lot of people across the country. It showed a college student mocking the tragic assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The video was taken during a memorial event held at Texas State University, and the behavior caught on camera was disrespectful, disturbing, and, in the end, had serious consequences.
In the video, the student can be seen acting out how Kirk was shot. He tapped his neck, pretending to be hit by a bullet, and then collapsed dramatically on the ground while his friends laughed and recorded the scene. He loudly said, “Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b**ch! Look, I’m Charlie Kirk!” Later, he shouted an offensive racial slur while turning toward another camera.
The video spread quickly on social media, and people across the country were outraged. Many called for the student to be held accountable. Texas Governor Greg Abbott was one of them. He said the student should be expelled immediately, and Texas State University’s president, Kelly Damphousse, responded soon after.
The university acted quickly. They investigated the incident and confirmed the identity of the student. Then, they expelled him. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the school said, “TXST has identified the student in the disturbing video from Monday’s event. The individual is no longer a student at TXST.”
President Damphousse added a statement of his own. He reminded people that the actions of one person do not represent the entire student body. “These kinds of insinuations are unfair to our student body and cause some of our students to feel unsafe,” he said.
The university’s decision to expel the student sends a strong message. Mocking someone’s death—especially in such a cruel and public way—is not only inappropriate, but it also goes against the values of a respectful, safe learning environment. When someone crosses that line, there should be consequences.
Let’s be clear: freedom of speech is protected in this country. But that doesn’t mean anyone can say or do whatever they want without consequences. Schools, especially publicly funded ones like Texas State, are allowed to set rules about behavior—especially when that behavior creates a hostile or unsafe environment for other students.
In this case, the student didn’t just express an opinion. He acted out a violent crime that had just happened, mocked the victim, and used hate speech. That’s not free speech—it’s targeted harassment. And it’s no surprise that the university and the state’s governor took it seriously.
Charlie Kirk was a well-known conservative voice and founder of Turning Point USA, a group that speaks up for conservative values on college campuses. His assassination shocked many Americans, and people gathered at schools across the country to mourn his loss. To have someone disrupt that moment of grief with cruel jokes and hateful language was more than just poor taste. It was cruel.
Some people online tried to say this incident shows what all college students are like. That’s not fair, and that’s not true. Most students, no matter their politics, want to learn, grow, and treat others with basic respect. President Damphousse was right to defend the rest of the student body and make it clear that this kind of behavior is not acceptable.
In the end, the university did the right thing. They acted quickly, investigated the facts, and took action to protect their community. That’s how you handle a situation like this—by holding people accountable and making sure campuses stay safe and respectful for everyone.