Updated at 5:50 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025.
SAN MARCOS, Texas - Texas State University says it has identified a student who appeared to mock conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s death in a widely circulated social media video.
In a statement posted online at 5:12 p.m. Tuesday, university President Kelly Damphousse said the man seen in the video is no longer a student at the school.
“The university has identified the student in the disturbing video from Monday’s event. I will not tolerate behavior that mocks, trivializes, or promotes violence on our campuses. It is antithetical to our TXST values,” Damphousse’s statement read, in part.
Damphousse said the university will not release additional information on individual student conduct matters.
The video, shared by Gov. Greg Abbott on X, shows a man with a backpack going up to a campus “Fighting Stallions” statue in the Quad after failing to get the crowd’s initial attention and mocking Kirk’s death at a higher position to incite a reaction.
Hey Texas State.
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 16, 2025
This conduct is not accepted at our schools.
Expel this student immediately.
Mocking assassination must have consequences. https://t.co/lR0ovIDLBL
After getting off the statue platform, someone could be heard telling the man, “You’re going to get expelled, dude.”
Abbott called for Texas State to “expel this student immediately.” He also warned that mocking assassinations must have consequences.
“The conduct is not accepted at our schools,” Abbott wrote.
In an initial statement shared earlier Tuesday, Damphousse said he has “directed university officials to take immediate steps to identify the individual in the video.”
“Behavior that trivializes or promotes violence is reprehensible and violates the values of Texas State. It will not be tolerated,” Damphousse stated.
Kirk was killed on Sept. 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University during one of his campus stops.
On Sunday, Abbott put out a warning on social media to those publicly mocking the death of Kirk.
In a post on X, Abbott wrote “FAFO” in response to a video of a woman yelling at people mourning Kirk’s death on the Texas Tech University campus. The acronym “(Expletive) Around and Find Out” is used online to warn people who try to incite a rise out of others, whether it be through words or actions.
The woman was expelled from Texas Tech.