Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking before thousands at Utah Valley College. His death marks a new and unsettling chapter in America’s history of political violence. From lawmakers targeted in their homes to assassination attempts on presidential candidates, the toll is rising — and the nation is on edge. USA TODAY National Reporter Will Carless joins The Excerpt from Utah to unpack what we know about the Kirk shooting, why attacks on political figures are escalating, and whether the country is entering a dangerous cycle of retaliation and unrest.

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