Leaders in the Democratic Party condemned the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University and urged Americans to reject political violence while the investigation continues.

Their calls for calm came as some Republican leaders blamed the political left and discussed new inquiries.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the assassination “sick and reprehensible,” saying Kirk’s murder is a reminder to engage in dialogue.

“I knew Charlie, and I admired his passion and commitment to debate,” Newsom said. “His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence. The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse.”

The two had publicly engaged earlier this year on Newsom’s podcast.

In March, after a debate over the participation of males who identify as transgender in women’s sports, Newsom told Kirk: “I think it’s an issue of fairness. I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair.”

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he was “shocked” by the killing and called political violence “unacceptable and completely incompatible with American values.” He also offered prayers for Kirk’s family.

Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, whose wife survived a 2011 mass shooting, wrote on X on Sept. 10, “Charlie Kirk lost his life today because someone thought violence was the answer to political disagreement.”

Kelly said in an appearance on NBC’s “Meet The Press” on Sept. 14 that the event reminded him of when he was told by phone that his wife had been shot. He said he felt deeply for Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk.

“His wife got a similar call, and it is like a punch in the gut like I’ve never experienced before,” Kelly said.

Later in the interview, Kelly said of Kirk: “The one thing we did agree on is his right to be out there speaking about issues on college campuses like he was last Wednesday. He had every right to be there, and I will give him a lot of credit.”

“This isn’t like one party committing all of the violence against the other,” he said. “This is clearly a pervasive issue in our country. We are more divided than we have been probably in my lifetime or yours, and if we don’t collectively come together to fix it, I think it can get worse.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) said on Sept. 15 during an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”: “All of us should be deeply concerned when we see the specter of political violence in our country. We Americans engage in noisy and sometimes rambunctious debate, and we do that not as a precursor to violence but to avoid violence.”

Warnock later added: “He had a right to think, to grow, to change his mind, or not to change his mind, to argue it out. ... I can’t think of anything more anti-democratic than political violence.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin weighed in on the day of the murder, saying: “Today, in yet another horrific act of targeted political violence, Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood on a school campus. Though we’re still awaiting further details, in all likelihood, he was murdered for expressing his beliefs. I am praying for his family, his friends, and his loved ones.”

On the Republican side, President Donald Trump said the country had lost “a great person.” He also told reporters on Sept. 14 that people aligned with the political left are “already under major investigation.”

Meanwhile, a group of House Republicans urged the creation of a select committee to investigate what they call “the radical left’s assault on America.”

Authorities arrested the suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, 22, after a multi-day search. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said investigators are still working to determine a motive and that Robinson was not cooperating with officials and had not confessed to the shooting.