Seth Meyers commenced Thursday’s installment of Late Night by confronting the passing of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing figure who was fatally shot at a college event in Utah on Wednesday. Kirk, who boasted a substantial social media presence, sought to advance right-wing beliefs on educational grounds through his group, Turning Point USA, and was a close supporter of President Trump.

“As I believe you are aware, conservative advocate Charlie Kirk was slain yesterday during a college event in Utah,” Meyers remarked. “We are appalled by this horrific incident, and our thoughts are with his family and friends. Mourning should never be dictated by political beliefs, and we should extend our deepest compassion to those in pain. Political violence is repugnant, an affront to the highest principles of this nation. It erodes us and endangers the very bedrock of our democracy.”

“The grand promise of our democratic endeavor is that we can engage with each other and settle our disagreements through conversation, not aggression. We must remain committed to that promise and work towards it with all our strength, even when it appears most distant.”

Meyers further addressed the recent school shooting in Colorado that left students harmed, along with the Minnesota school shooting from two weeks ago that resulted in two children’s fatalities and 21 people injured.

“There have already been more than 300 mass shootings and 47 shootings in schools this year alone,” Meyers pointed out. “We have echoed this numerous times on this show and will reiterate it: Gun violence is a scourge in this nation. We urgently require sensible gun safety legislation to halt this wave of tragedy and suffering. Regardless of the identity or beliefs of these offenders, one aspect remains constant: the firearms.”