Expelled Texas State Student Starts GoFundMe After Mocking Charlie Kirk's Death, Says He 'Made A Mistake'

A former Texas State University student, expelled after reenacting the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, has clarified his actions.

Devion Canty Jr. addressed his behavior on his GoFundMe page, where he is seeking to raise money to cover his education costs. His actions drew widespread criticism online after the reenactment went viral on social media.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott was among those who called for Canty's immediate removal before the school ultimately took action against the Bobcat student for mocking Charlie Kirk.

Devion Canty Jr. has offered an explanation for his actions after being expelled from Texas State University for reenacting the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

The student addressed his behavior on a recently opened GoFundMe page, following widespread criticism from netizens after clips of the incident went viral online.

"Recently, I faced a situation where I had to choose between immediate expulsion or withdrawing from the university," Canty wrote. "I made the decision to withdraw—not because I wanted to leave, but for my own safety and the well-being of the campus community."

In his candid remarks, Canty appeared to state that his expulsion was the result of being unfairly labeled as an "out-of-control, disrespectful young Black man."

He countered that perception by describing himself instead as a "passionate student who made a mistake in the heat of the moment."

"Spit on, called racial slurs, and witnessing women being cursed at and pushed around. I spoke up, and while I recognize my actions weren't perfect, I did not harm anyone," Canty added.

Ironically, Canty used a tweet from Kirk as the image caption on his GoFundMe page, seemingly to suggest that the punishment he received was disproportionate to his actions.

The tweet in question featured Kirk stating that "hate speech does not exist legally in America," before adding that there is only "ugly speech, gross speech, and evil speech," all of which, he noted, are protected by the First Amendment.

The former Bobcat student also explained that he was raising the funds because he still intends to pursue an education.

"This fundraiser will help me cover the costs of pursuing my education elsewhere or taking the necessary steps to return to Texas State," he noted about his $9,000 goal. "I still believe in my education and my future, and I would love to be welcomed back on campus one day."

As of Saturday, Canty has received over 70 donations, which have culminated in nearly $3000.

Among those who called for Canty's expulsion was Texas Governor Greg Abbott. He shared his opinion in a post reacting to the viral video of Canty reenacting Kirk's murder.

"Hey, Texas State. This conduct is not accepted at our schools. Expel this student immediately. Mocking assassination must have consequences," Abbott wrote on X.

His call for the expulsion was supported by numerous netizens, who condemned Canty's actions as reprehensible.

Shortly after, the Texas State University president released a statement confirming that Canty had been identified and expelled.

"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," read the statement.

"The individual is no longer a student at TXST. Federal law prevents the university from commenting further on individual student conduct matters."

As for the accused in Charlie Kirk's murder, Tyler Robinson, he is currently being held without bail in the Utah County Jail following his arrest last week.

On Tuesday, he appeared virtually in court and was charged with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering, and committing a violent offense in the presence of a child.

He has yet to enter a plea and will only be allowed to do so if a judge determines at a preliminary hearing that there is sufficient evidence for the case to proceed.

His next court date is scheduled for September 29, by which time he is expected to have been assigned a lawyer.