In the wake of the shooting death of political activist Charlie Kirk, Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners may designate a portion of North 65th Avenue between West Fairfield Drive and Lillian Highway with the honorary name of “Turning Point USA Road” in memory of Charlie Kirk.
The proposal is on the agenda for the board’s Sept. 16 meeting.
That stretch of North 65th Avenue is near Escambia High School and is in Commission Chair Mike Kohler’s district.
Kohler says he supports renaming that portion of the road to “denounce political violence.”
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses. It was founded in 2012 by Charlie Kirk and Bill Montgomery.
Although there have been other political assassinations, Kohler says he believes renaming the road after Kirk’s organization is appropriate because he believes the violence is getting “worse and worse” and it happened during a recent live event for the world to witness.
“I can see why a lot of people are living in fear. We shouldn’t have to. In a free society, you would hope that you wouldn’t have to live in it,” Kohler said. “Senseless death is never right, no matter where it is and who it’s upon.”
According to University of Maryland researcher Michael Jensen, who tracks terrorism incidents, there were 150 politically motivated attacks throughout the first half of 2025, including victims from different political parties.
Kohler says he denounces all of it and hopes if the board supports the name dedication it will help people remember that “words matter” and people can do their part to stop violence by remembering what happened to Kirk.
He pointed out that the appearance of political violence has even touched Escambia County after the FBI arrested a New York man, Justin Wright, for stalking and threatening Escambia County Clerk of Court Pam Childers.
The arrest comes more than a year after the FBI began investigating an arson incident that happened near Childers’ Cordova Park home on June 1, 2024, that destroyed a neighbor’s car.
Hundreds of Kirk supporters attended a candlelight vigil at Graffiti Bridge Sept. 14 in honor of Charlie Kirk.
The board is scheduled to consider the name designation at its board meeting on Tuesday. Public forum begins at 9:15 a.m. and the regular meeting is scheduled to start at 9:45 a.m. at 221 Palafox Place.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Turning Point USA Road? Escambia commissioner proposes naming road in honor of Charlie Kirk
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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