DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) -- The assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk Wednesday marks another chapter in the ongoing issue of political violence across the country.

Each year, more instances of violent acts are being seen across both sides of the aisle. In June, one Minnesota legislator and her husband were fatally assassinated in their home, shortly after the suspect shot a state senator and his wife. In 2024, President Trump was injured in a shooting in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Mark Caleb Smith, Cedarville University's director of the Center for Political Studies, said that while Wednesday’s murder was shocking, it also feels different from other cases of violence because Kirk was not an officeholder.

Smith said the killing could spiral into a new form of violence toward p

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