WA flags fly at half-staff to honor Charlie Kirk, political violence victims
Flags were lowered to half-staff at Washington state agency facilities starting Thursday, the governor’s office announced.
The commemoration is two-fold.
Gov. Bob Ferguson had previously directed the U.S. and Washington state flags to be lowered on Thursday for Patriot Day, honoring victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But the Democrat announced Thursday morning that he’s extended that directive in memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at an outdoor event at a Utah college campus. He’d been a key figure among young conservatives and is credited with having helped clinch President Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 election.
Multiple Washington state officials condemned political violence following Kirk’s killing, including Ferguson, Senate Minority Leader John Braun, Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse and Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell.
“Violence is never the answer,” Ferguson wrote Wednesday on X. “There is no place in our democracy for political violence, and I condemn the murder of Charlie Kirk in the strongest terms. My prayers are with his family.”
In addition to Kirk, Ferguson’s flag-lowering directive honors all victims of political violence, including the June 14 killings of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark. That same day, Democratic Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, survived an assassination attempt with serious injuries.
Flags will stay at half-staff until sunset or close of business Sunday, Sept. 14.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 10:43 AM.
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