A dramatic video went viral this week in New Jersey of the mayor of Sparta, Neill Clark, shouting down mourners at a candlelight vigil to honor conservative commentator and activist Charlie Kirk, accusing them of callousness toward the victims of other killings.
Jay Costa, a conservative candidate for Bergen County Board of Commissioners, told Breitbart News that the footage of this exchange that he shared was sent to him by attendees at the event, who described Clark’s presence there as deliberately antagonizing. Keeping his source anonymous, Costa said the person who sent him the footage shared an anecdote in which, in addition to what was caught on camera, Clark “asked someone for their full name and then when he said, ‘I won’t give you my last name so [you] can attack me,’ the mayor basically called him a pussy. Real crazy shit.”
Costa said that, as a candidate for public office, he has been subject to “disrespect” and “harassment” since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and that he has taken measures for the safety of his family.
Kirk, 31, was the founder of Turning Point USA, a national organization dedicated to empowering conservative youth on college campuses. On September 10, he was hosting an event at Utah Valley University promoting civil debate in which he fielded questions from students. Kirk was on a national tour hosting such events on campuses, encouraging left-wing students in particular to engage with his ideas. He was shot in the neck while answering a question about the rise in transgender individuals committing acts of violence and died shortly thereafter, leaving his wife, Erika, and two children.
Police have arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson for the shooting. Robinson reportedly holds extreme left-wing views and is in a romantic relationship with a person identifying as transgender. Police investigations to confirm the motive, planning, and details of the assassination remain ongoing at press time. A second man identified as George Zinn was also arrested after falsely declaring himself to be the shooter in the immediate aftermath of the killing and is facing charges of obstruction of justice.
The harrowing assassination has prompted a wave of mourning and praise for Kirk around the world, prominently featuring candlelight vigils and prayer sessions honoring Kirk’s Christian faith. President Donald Trump ordered flags at federal facilities to be flown at half-mast in honor of Kirk. In Sparta, New Jersey, residents organized a vigil for Kirk on Saturday that featured both mourning and frustration with the local government, which refused to lower its flags, stating that federal mandates do not apply to state, county, and town facilities.
Video of the vigil shared by Costa spread throughout the state as it showed enraged residents confronting Clark. Clark appears on camera shouting at the mourners.
“It hurts me that we had children die in a Catholic Mass and not a damn single one of you, any of you, came out for that!” Clark yelled, apparently referencing the mass shooting at a Catholic Mass in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August, which killed two children and numerous others.
The crowd responded to Clark, shouting, “We all cared!” and stating that the killers in the Minnesota shooting were “the same ones that killed Charlie Kirk.”
Reports from the ground indicate that, prior to the altercation, the crowd booed Clark and confronted him about the town’s decision not to lower the flags. Clark repeatedly denied that, as mayor, he had the authority to order the flags lowered. The town of Sparta does not hold elections for its mayoral position; the people elect a council, which then chooses a mayor from among the council members.
Clark subsequently issued a statement in which he clarified that organizers invited him to attend the vigil – he did not “crash” it, as some local reports claimed – and that he had successfully issued a brief statement of condolence to the Clark family before the video circulating online. He blamed the crowd for allegedly antagonizing him and reiterated that he would not take measures to lower the flags for Kirk. Clark also appeared to rebuff calls for his resignation by stating that he would continue to work to improve the town.
“I accepted the invitation though I anticipated the attendees would disagree with the Township’s decision not to lower the flag, and that they would likely pressure me to do so,” the mayor said in his statement. “In no way did I intend to interrupt or interfere with the candlelight vigil. In my speech in front of the Township flagpole, I expressed sadness and sympathy for Charlie Kirk’s family and explained why both state law and Council best practices did not enable the flag to be lowered.”
“I was advised that lowering the flag would require an emergency meeting,” he insisted. “In my years of service, I’ve never called such a meeting, and I did not do so in this instance as it doesn’t meet the legal criteria for such a meeting.”
Clark conceded to having “reacted emotionally” but otherwise defended his display.
“I expressed frustration that similar public outcry was absent when Catholic children were killed during mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis less than two weeks earlier,” his statement read. “I also mentioned, truthfully, that Charlie Kirk was among the 10,453 Americans who have lost their lives to gun violence in 2025 alone— a staggering and heartbreaking figure.”
“That moment of frustration — now captured and circulating online — was not reflective of the compassion I feel for Charlie Kirk’s family and all the victims of gun violence. My intention was to draw attention to the broader epidemic of gun violence facing our nation while also respecting the need for elected officials to explain their decisions,” he said.
Clark also complained that, following his shouting at his residents, he has been the target of “abuse” and “harassing messages.”
Jay Costa, the Bergen County candidate, said that as a conservative, he had also “received a lot of disrespect over the past week.”
“I have had threats of harassment over and over. I am taking some precaution to keep my family safe,” he explained. “I understand some of it is just part of being outspoken. Nothing has come yet where I truly feel like my safety is in danger, but it seems to be getting closer.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.