A day after conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event in Utah, US Congresswoman Deborah Ross condemned the killing, declaring that “violence has no place in the country.”

Speaking to IANS in Washington, Ross, a Democratic Representative from North Carolina, said political leaders must “take responsibility” for lowering the tone of divisive rhetoric. “More than a year ago, there was an assassination attempt on then-candidate and now President Trump. We also saw the assassination of Minnesota lawmakers. We, as elected officials, must take responsibility for setting a better example for the American people, and that includes the President of the United States, who on many occasions has advocated violence,” she said.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agencies have intensified their search for Kirk’s killer. The FBI has released two images of a “person of interest” and announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the suspect’s arrest. Investigators recovered a high-powered hunting rifle, a palm print, and a shoe impression near the Utah Valley University campus where Kirk was shot. Authorities say they have received over 200 tips and are following multiple leads.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Thursday that authorities are “making big progress” in the investigation. He added that Kirk “was an advocate of non-violence” and announced that the conservative leader will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

Kirk, 31, was addressing students at UVU when a single shot struck him, causing chaos among attendees. Despite emergency medical efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly after.

Kirk founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012, building it into the country’s largest conservative student movement with more than 800 chapters nationwide.