Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT) on Friday called the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk an attack on American “ideals,” warning at a press conference that the shooting represents a “watershed” moment with unsettling implications for free speech.

Cox joined federal, state, and local law enforcement as they shared details of the arrest of the alleged shooter, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, and said the attack at Utah Valley University on Wednesday was meant to scare people from engaging in discourse and sharing ideas — bedrocks of American society.

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