Tim Collins was on his way to teach a class on presidential leadership and American democracy when news broke that conservative activist Charlie Kirk had been shot.

By the time the University of Minnesota political science lecturer’s class ended, authorities had announced that Kirk was dead.

“My classes tend to be upbeat,” Collins said. “All of that was gone because it was, like, understood that this was gonna be sad, and not good.”

Kirk’s death adds to a growing list of politically motivated attacks in the United States, including the recent shootings that killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and injured state Sen. John Hoffman.

“People, I think, are going to start being more afraid of, you know, speaking their mind,” said William Luther, 20, the director of state affairs for t

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