Public officials from both sides of the aisle and law enforcement have been raising the alarm about political violence being on the rise in America, with public officials being increasingly targeted by violent attacks.
One of the most recent examples was Wednesday's fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, during an event at Utah Valley University,
A suspect has been arrested in Kirk's shooting, officials announced Friday.
Here is a timeline of political violence in recent years.
Jan. 8, 2011-- 6 killed, 13 others including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords wounded in Tucson shooting
Six people were killed and 13 others wounded, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, during a constituent meeting outside a grocery store in Tucson, Arizona.
Giffords, a Democrat, was shot in the head at point-blank range, critically injuring her, before the shooter unleashed a spray of bullets. Giffords survived the shooting.
Emergency personnel and Daniel Hernandez (C), an intern for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, move Giffords after she was shot in the head outside a shopping center, Jan. 8, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona.
James Palka/Getty Images, FILE
The shooter, Jared Lee Loughner, was described by police as mentally unstable. Giffords was the focus of the gunman's assault, authorities said.
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June 14, 2017 -- Rep. Steve Scalise shot during congressional baseball game practice
Four people were shot -- including then-House majority whip and Louisiana Republican Rep. Steve Scalise -- when a gunman opened fire on Republicans practicing for a congressional baseball game at Eugene Simpson Stadium Park in Alexandria, Virginia.
A view of a baseball field after a shooting during a practice of the Republican congressional baseball at Eugene Simpson Statium Park June 14, 2017, in Alexandria, Virginia.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Scalise was rushed to a trauma center with fractured bones and internal organ damage. A Capitol Police Officer was among the three others shot.
The gunman was shot and killed at the scene after police returned fire.
Scalise has since recovered.
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Oct. 8, 2020 -- 13 men arrested for plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
Thirteen members of a militia group were arrested and charged for planning to storm the Michigan statehouse, kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and start a civil war.
A criminal complaint filed on Oct. 6, 2020, named six men who are accused of planning to take Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and others hostage at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing. Pictured at top are Adam Fox, Ty Garbin and Daniel Harris; at bottom are Kaleb Franks...Show more ---Show more
Kent County Sheriff/Delaware Dept. of Justice
Ultimately, the state attorney general charged 20 state felonies against eight people alleged to have engaged in planning and training for an attack on the statehouse and a plan to kidnap lawmakers, including Whitmer.
Five of the eight were convicted of crimes in support of the plot, according to the Michigan attorney general. Four other people were convicted of federal charges in relation to the plot.
Two of the militia members have since been sentenced to 19 years and 16 years in prison.
Jan. 6, 2021 -- January 6 attack on the US Capitol, pipe bombs at RNC and DNC
A mob of pro-Trump protestors stormed the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers met to ratify the results of the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021.
The protestors stormed the Capitol and threatened the lives of elected officials, violently assaulting law enforcement officers.
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Two pipe bombs were also placed outside the Democratic and Republican national headquarters the day before the riots.
The FBI tweeted a photo and posted a reward for information leading to the location, arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible for the suspected pipe bombs found in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2020.
FBI
Nearly 1,600 individuals faced charges associated with the Capitol attack, including 608 people who faced charges for assaulting, resisting or interfering with law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
On his first day back in office in January 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in connection with Jan. 6.
At least five people died during the attack and around 140 officers were injured during the riot, the Department of Justice said.
Feb. 14, 2022 -- Kentucky mayoral candidate targeted in attempted shooting
While running for office, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg was the target of an attempted shooting at his campaign headquarters. No one was injured in the incident.
The offices of Louisville Democratic mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg are shown in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 15, 2022.
Timothy D. Easley/AP, FILE
Quintez Brown walked into Greenberg’s campaign office and fired multiple shots at Greenberg while he was meeting with four staffers, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Staffers closed and barricaded the door, and Brown was captured several blocks from the shooting, authorities said.
On Jan. 24, 2025, Brown was sentenced to over 17 years in federal prison for attempting to assassinate Greenberg.
"As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he acted because Greenberg was running for mayor," the U.S. attorney's office said.
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Oct. 28, 2022 -- Paul Pelosi attacked with hammer in his home
Former Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer in their San Francisco home.
David DePape was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in a state trial over the attack. He had broken into the Pelosi home seeking to hold the then-speaker hostage.
In this screen grab from police body cam footage released by the San Francisco Police Department, Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, is shown with his assailant, David DePape, at the Pelosi home, in San Francisco, Oct 28, 2022.
San Francisco Police Dept
A jury found DePape guilty of false imprisonment of an elder by violence of menace, residential burglary, threatening a family member of a public official, dissuading a witness by force or threat and aggravated kidnapping.
In a separate federal case in which DePape was convicted of seeking to hold Nancy Pelosi hostage, he was also sentenced to 30 years in prison.
In an October 2024 letter to a judge, Paul Pelosi detailed that he has continued physical and mental impacts including trouble balancing and headaches early every day.
Dec. 4, 2023 to Jan. 3, 2024 -- New Mexico state legislature candidate orchestrates shootings, murder for hire
A New Mexico man who ran for the state legislature as a Republican and lost his bid is serving an 80 year prison sentence for allegedly orchestrating attacks at the homes of four Democratic lawmakers. No one was injured in his attempts.
Solomon Pena, Republican Candidate for New Mexico House District 14, being taken into custody by APD police officers in SW Albuquerque, N.M., on Jan. 16, 2023.
Roberto E. Rosales/ZUMAPRESS via Newscom, FILE
Solomon Pe？a is accused of paying four men to shoot at the residences of local Democratic officials. He allegedly paid the men in cash and sent them text messages with addresses for his alleged targets, according to prosecutors.
He was then taken into custody as detectives served search warrants at his apartment and at the home of two of the men he allegedly paid.
This came after a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle about 4 miles away from state Sen. Linda Lopez's home just 40 minutes after the shooting. The driver, identified as Jose Trujillo, was arrested on an outstanding warrant.
In the vehicle which was registered to Pe？a, police said they found more than 800 fentanyl-laced pills and two firearms. Trujillo pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Pe？a orchestrated a "politically motivated shooting spree" and plotted "to murder witnesses to obstruct justice," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico.
"After his electoral defeat, Pe？a falsely claimed the election was rigged and began pressuring members of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners not to certify the results. When they refused, Pe？a recruited Jose Trujillo and Demetrio Trujillo to carry out a series of shootings at the homes of several public officials," prosecutors said in a statement.
MORE: Manhunt for shooter continues after Charlie Kirk killed in 'political assassination'
June 13, 2024 -- 1st attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was shot in the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, after a gunman opened fire from the roof of a nearby building.
Former president Donald Trump is assisted offstage during a campaign rally at the Butler Farm Show Inc., July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pa.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images, FILE
One rally spectator was killed and two others were critically injured during the shooting.
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Trump dropped to the ground when he was shot and was surrounded by agents before being hustled off the stage. Countersnipers on-site killed shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks.
Investigators have determined that he acted alone, but a motive for the attack has not been publicly disclosed.
Sept. 15, 2024 -- 2nd attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Trump faced a second assassination attempt at the Trump International Gold Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Prosecutors said suspect Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly put together a plan, including purchasing a military-grade weapon, researching Trump's movements and using a dozen burner phones in an alleged attempt to kill Trump based on political grievances.
Law enforcement officials work at the crime scene outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on September 16, 2024, following Sunday's attempted assassination on former President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Ryan Wesley Routh, 5...Show more ---Show more
Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images
Routh allegedly came within a few hundred yards of Trump before a Secret Service agent spotted his rifle poking out of a tree line. Authorities say Routh fled the scene but was later apprehended. Routh is currently on trial.
Oct. 6, 2024 -- Kamala Harris campaign office in Arizona shot at 3 times in a month
An office shared by then-Vice President Kamala Harris' presidential campaign and the Democratic Party in Tempe, Arizona, was damaged by gunfire three times in less than a month, according to police.
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The three shootings occurred late at night and no one was injured in any of the shootings.
In this Sept. 25, 2024, file photo, bullet holes remain in the glass window at a Democratic Party campaign office in Tempe, Ariz.
Gabriel Sandoval/AP, FILE
A suspect was arrested on Oct. 24 in connection with the three shootings, facing multiple charges including unlawful discharge, shooting at a non-residential structure, terrorism and criminal damage.
Police said Jeffrey Michael Kelly was seen posting anti-Democratic signs in Ahwatukee, attaching baggies labeled "biohazard" containing white powdery substance to the signs. Now on trial, he could face up to life in prison if convicted.
"Threats, intimidation or violence toward political officials -- no matter what party they are a part of -- are completely unacceptable," Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said during the press briefing.
Dec. 4, 2024 -- Murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson
UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson died after being shot multiple times at point-blank range by a gunman outside a Manhattan hotel, according to police.
The shooter appeared to have been lying in wait at the hotel where he shot Thompson, authorities said.
Police respond as CEO of UnitedHealthcare Brian Thompson, 50, was shot as he entered the New York Hilton, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York.
Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
Alleged shooter Luigi Mangione was captured after a manhunt that lasted several days.
Investigators suspect that Mangione was frustrated with the healthcare system in the U.S. when he targeted Thompson, who was the CEO of the country's biggest insurance company.
Prosecutors have alleged that Mangione wanted to send a message about corporate greed. Mangione was likely motivated by his belief that health insurance companies were "parasitic" and believed unilateral action could be symbolic to others.
April 13, 2025 -- Arson at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence
A mechanic who has expressed disdain for Democrats on social media was arrested for starting a fire at Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro speaks during a press conference outside of the Governor's Mansion after an arsonist set fire to the Governor's Residence in a targeted attack in Harrisburg, Penn., on April 13, 2025.
Anadolu via Getty Images, FILE
Shapiro and his family were at the residence at the time of the fire, but they were not injured and safely evacuated, according to police.
Cody Balmer allegedly broke a window with a hammer and then threw two home-made Molotov cocktails into the governor's mansion. Moments after he allegedly firebombed the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, Cody Balmer called 911 and confessed.
Balmer waived his initial hearing and is expected in court in October.
May 21, 2025 -- Killing of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.
Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed while exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.
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The suspect shouted "free, free Palestine" after shooting Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, who called the shooting an "act of terror."
The suspect fired 21 times as the couple exited the venue, authorities said. Suspect Elias Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of murder and has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.
June 1, 2025 -- 13 people injured in Colorado firebombing attack, 1 later dies
A man threw Molotov cocktails during a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado, injuring 13, authorities said. One person later died of their injuries.
Bomb squads set up a staging area following an incident involving multiple injuries that the FBI is investigating as an act of terror on June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado.
Chet Strange/Getty Images, FILE
Suspect Mohamed Soliman told police he wanted to "kill all zionist people and wished they were all dead," according to state court documents. He has pleaded not guilty to federal hate crime charges.
June 14, 2025？-- Minnesota lawmaker shootings
A masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot and killed Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark in their home, Gov. Tim Walz said.
A makeshift memorial for DFL State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark Hortman is seen at the Minnesota State Capitol building, June 16, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Steven Garcia/Getty Images, FILE
Before Hortman was shot, the gunman shot State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette multiple times at their home. Both lawmakers were Democrats.
Suspect Vance Boelter had a list of possible targets and went to the homes of public officials to conduct violent attacks, FBI Director Kash Patel said. Boelter has pleaded not guilty.
Aug. 8, 2025 -- Shooting at CDC headquarters
A police officer was killed when a gunman opened fire near the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and the Emory University campus in Atlanta, authorities said.
Suspect Patrick Joseph White had blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for making him sick and depressed, according to law enforcement. He had increasingly focused on the vaccine as a source of his grievances, they noted. He was found dead after the shooting, officials said.
Law enforcement is seen near the Centers For Disease Control (CDC) Global Headquarters during an active shooter incident on August 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images
CDC Director Susan Monarez told employees that the promotion of misinformation played a role in the deadly shooting. Monarez has since been ousted as director.
"The dangers of misinformation and its promulgation has now led to deadly consequences. I will work to restore trust in public health to those who have lost it- through science, evidence, and clarity of purpose," Monarez wrote.
The suspect died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Sept. 10, 2025 -- Shooting of Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on social media.
A drone view shows the scene where U.S. right-wing activist, commentator, Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, September 11, 2025.
Cheney Orr/Reuters
Right-wing activist and commentator, Charlie Kirk speaks during an event at Utah Valley University, moments before being fatally shot, in Orem, Utah, September 10, 2025.
Kevin via Reuters
Tyler Robinson allegedly shot and killed Kirk on Wednesday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said at a press conference in Utah on Friday.
Robinson, 22, has been booked into the Utah County Jail. Charging documents against Robinson are expected to be filed early next week, Cox said.