Democratic socialist events in Las Vegas canceled over threats following Charlie Kirk murder

Jon Torsch, center, wears a t-shirt promoting democratic socialism during a gathering of the Southern Maine Democratic Socialists of America at City Hall in Portland, Maine, Monday, July 16, 2018. On the ground in dozens of states, there is new evidence that democratic socialism is taking hold as a significant force in Democratic politics. Photo by: Charles Krupa / Associated Press

The Las Vegas chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) canceled an event Friday in downtown due to what it calls “credible threats from right-wing extremists.”

Las Vegas branch co-Chair Shaun Navarro shared social media posts with the Sun proclaiming his “reckoning is here” and that they’d see him at the “DSA 101 & Social” event at 18bin, a bar and restaurant in the Arts District.

Navarro additionally said DSA’s national organization received an email threatening and mocking the leftist group. It included alleged social media posts from a local DSA member celebrating the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot Wednesday at Utah Valley University.

Navarro said the person accused of writing the posts in the email hasn’t been a DSA member since 2019.

The Sun could not independently verify the veracity of the attached social media posts.

CNN reported that some users on X are claiming Kirk’s suspected killer, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was seen in a photo wearing a DSA shirt. However, the photo was of a different man, CNN reported.

“Your group is responsible for the murder and death of Charlie Kirk,” the email to DSA read. “He was the only person keeping millions of hillbillies and rednecks from murdering your kind.”

The email continued by saying millions of people wanted members of the organization dead. Free speech has “consequences,” the person who sent the email wrote.

They wrote that they found “where you all live,” mockingly wishing the organization “good luck, you’re going to need it.”

“We do not waver on our views but we do have a responsibility to maintain the safety of our 440 members,” Las Vegas DSA wrote in a statement to the Sun. “Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, we canceled our in-person events for the weekend.”

The chapter also had a training on “mass organization” at Rainbow Library in northwest Las Vegas scheduled for Saturday. The threats have not been reported to Las Vegas police, Navarro said.

The cancellations come amid a wave of violent hoaxes following Kirk’s murder.

A group of Democratic lawmakers in Rhode Island and the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., received false bomb threats Thursday. Classes at multiple historically Black colleges and universities across the South were canceled Friday following multiple threats.

“It is unfortunate that our community is being targeted by right-wing extremists who are using recent events to escalate violence,” Las Vegas DSA wrote. “We are community members who are organizing every day to make Las Vegas a better place.”

Neither the local chapter of DSA nor the national organization had published statements mentioning Kirk’s murder prior to Friday afternoon.

“We will continue organizing against this and other violences being perpetrated across the community,” Las Vegas DSA wrote, “and we invite others to join us.”