‘Heat of moment’: Expelled Texas State student who mocked Charlie Kirk’s assassination

Devion Canty; Charlie Kirk

A student who was expelled from Texas State University for mocking the recent assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, defended his actions as a “mistake made in the heat of the moment” and has launched a GoFundMe to cover his education costs.Devion Canty Jr. was removed from the university after he directed profanities at mourners outside the campus chapter of Turning Point USA, the nonprofit co-founded by Kirk, who was an ally of US President Donald Trump.“Recently, I faced a situation where I had to choose between immediate expulsion or withdrawing from the university. I made the decision to withdraw—not because I wanted to leave, but for my own safety and the well-being of the campus community,” Canty wrote on the crowdfunding page.He added, “Unfortunately, the only public narrative out there is that I am an ‘out-of-control, disrespectful young Black man.’ In reality, I am a passionate student who made a mistake in the heat of the moment after being repeatedly disrespected—spit on, called racial slurs, and witnessing women being cursed at and pushed around. I spoke up, and while I recognise my actions weren’t perfect, I did not harm anyone.”Canty’s fundraiser, titled “Going Back to txst” follows a viral video in which he is seen shouting at mourners and re-enacting Kirk being shot. In the video, he reportedly shouted, “Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b***h!” while slapping his own neck and mimicking the recoil of a bullet. He then climbed the base of a campus statue and repeated the dramatic reenactment.Texas governor Greg Abbott, a member of Trump’s Republican Party, called for Canty’s immediate removal from the university after the video circulated online. “Hey Texas State. This conduct is not accepted at our schools. Expel this student immediately. Mocking assassination must have consequences,” Abbott wrote on X.Texas State University officials later confirmed Canty was removed from the student population. “The university has identified the student in the disturbing video from Monday’s event. I will not tolerate behaviour that mocks, trivialises, or promotes violence on our campuses. It is antithetical to our TXST values,” said Texas State University president Kelly Damphouse. The incident is part of a broader wave of controversy surrounding Kirk’s September 10 killing. Dozens of people nationwide have reportedly lost jobs for allegedly making light of or justifying the assassination. On Wednesday, ABC announced the indefinite suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after Kimmel, in his monologue on Monday, criticised supporters of Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement for “desperately trying to characterise the killer (Tyler Robinson) as anything other than one of them.” ABC’s move has sparked widespread debate and condemnation.