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House lawmakers on both sides of the aisle were left shaken on Wednesday as news traveled of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
One member of Congress described a “somber atmosphere” during the House’s evening vote series as legislators reckoned with the tragedy in Utah – which resurfaced concerns about their own safety in what has become an emotionally charged political landscape.
“If we don’t do something about this, a member of Congress is going to get killed,” Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. “People in my family asked me today not to run for re-election. I mean, they’re scared.”
Lawmakers have been forced to reckon with their own safety on multiple occasions in recent memory.
LIVE UPDATES: MANHUNT FOR CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTER CONTINUES
The two assassination attempts against President Donald Trump in 2024, the fatal shooting of a Minnesota state lawmaker and critical injury of her colleague, a firebombing at the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, and now what the governor of Utah labeled a politically motivated assassination of the Turning Point USA founder, have all inspired new conversations about how to keep elected officials safe in an increased threat environment.
Both Fine and Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital they would be speaking with the Capitol sergeant-at-arms about getting increased security.
“I am concerned about my safety. I’m concerned about the safety of my family. I’m concerned about the safety of my employees, so we are immediately reevaluating…to make sure we have thought about every possible scenario,” Mace said.
Mace said she and many of her colleagues would likely now “pause outdoor events” for the time being.
“They almost killed Donald Trump, they killed Charlie Kirk, both outdoors,” she said.
Fine said, “I will probably, you know, stay in the bubble more in Washington than I might otherwise.”
Others, like Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., suggested lawmakers and other political figures should be allowed more lax firearm permissions, despite Washington, D.C.’s strict gun laws.
“I know there’s 435 of us. It’s kind of hard, but each and every one of us are out there in the public, and there’s crazy people out there,” Gimenez said.
“I was concerned for my safety enough that I have a concealed weapons permit in the state of Florida. And maybe, I know that the weapons laws here in D.C. are different, but maybe…if you’re a political figure, you’re a representative or a senator, maybe those things, you know, we need to be exempted for our own personal safety.”
He added, “I hope it doesn’t happen, but there may be a tragedy, and then things will change. And I hope things will change before you have a tragedy.”
“You can’t help it,” another House Republican told Fox News Digital when asked if they were now more concerned for their own safety. “People still are living their lives, but the topic of conversation is almost exclusively the tragedy…It puts a lot of things in perspective.”
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A second House Republican told Fox News Digital that they would also be limiting outdoor events but was skeptical of the feasibility of protecting all members of Congress when they are back in their home districts.
Kirk was shot from what authorities have described as a long-range distance while speaking at a student event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon. The 31-year-old, who was largely credited with energizing Gen Z voters to turn out for Trump in 2024, leaves behind a wife and two young children.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., told reporters on Thursday morning that he’s heard from “many members on both sides of the aisle” about concerns from themselves and their loved ones about their safety.
“We’re in a deliberate review process right now to determine what measures are appropriate, how much we can allocate for that,” Johnson said.
A third House Republican told Fox News Digital they were “devastated” by Kirk’s killing and said they had been gradually increasing their own security since the assassination attempts on Trump in 2024.
“Our office steadily increased its safety protocols after the attempted assassination of POTUS last year, and we have steadily increased those precautions throughout this year as we have observed increased emotions and heightened tensions while at public events. We were already using security for most public and outdoor events, and we will continue to do so,” they said via text message.
Others told reporters Wednesday that they, too, were concerned for themselves but declined to elaborate in the immediate wake of Kirk’s death.
“We don’t have enough resources to protect the people who are threatened around here. But I don’t want to make it about us right now. This is just, it’s awful,” said Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif.
Fox News’ Tyler Olson contributed to this report.
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