We must push back against the reflex to weaponize moments of tragedy like the assassination of Charlie Kirk, writes research psychologist Maxine Iannuccilli.

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When public figures are attacked, our collective instinct often divides us further. This week’s shooting of Charlie Kirk has already prompted predictable waves of outrage, blame and political weaponization. Some call it an assault on democracy, others a deserved outcome of polarizing rhetoric. In the rush to explain, condemn or capitalize, we risk losing sight of something more fundamental: our shared humanity.

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As a research psychologist who has spent years in a lab that studies empathy and prosocial development, I urge us to try and see this moment differently. Empathy is not just a lofty ideal, it is a deeply ingrained human tendency, observable even in........

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