X/@MattPrehm
Oregon head football coach Dan Lanning mourned the death of Ducks mega-fan Charlie Kirk on Saturday, just days after the conservative influencer and organizer was murdered at an event in Utah.
During a passionate press conference after his team’s victory over Northwestern, Lanning said he agreed with Kirk on a number of issues and disagreed with him on several others.
“We talked about it with our team, and I think our team feels the same way, regardless of views,” said Lanning. “I don’t think they feel anybody ever deserves to experience what some people in our country are experiencing right now. It’s super disappointing.”
His comments came just one night after Kirk’s wife, Erika Kirk, shared that her husband “loved the Oregon Ducks” during her first public address since the killing.
“I recently found out Charlie Kirk was [an] Oregon fan, right? I didn’t know that. I hurt for his wife, Erika, and their kids,” Lanning continued. “Like, that sort of evil should
The coach lamented that he had to talk to his kids about this shooting and too many others recently, before complaining that there was not a lot of “common sense on both sides” at the moment.
On whether mental health issues or guns were to blame for the attack, Lanning said, “You know what? It’s both.”
Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University on Wednesday while holding a questions-and-answers event. 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was named this week as the suspect in the shooting.