Political violence is becoming increasingly common across the country — including in Pennsylvania.

In 2025 alone, Americans witnessed the assassinations of political activist Charlie Kirk and a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, as well as a firebombing attack at Gov. Josh Shapiro’s home in Harrisburg.

69 News reporter Amelia Sack sat down with Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday to discuss the rise in political violence and what can be done to combat it.

“Violence is unacceptable at all times,” Sunday said.

The United States is seeing a disturbing trend of political violence. To combat it, Sunday said there needs to be a change in rhetoric.

“We need to monitor the way we communicate. What can we do differently to lower the temperature? I think that is absolutely critical,” he said.

Sunday also pointed to social media’s role in shaping public perception of current events and elected officials.

“People are completely misinformed by what they’re seeing on social media. They might see snippets of a conversation that make them think one thing, without even looking at the entire conversation to understand the true meaning,” he said.

Additionally, Sunday emphasized the importance of mental health.

“A lot of the worst things we see in society involve individuals who, at some point in their lives, had a mental health crisis that was never addressed,” he said.

As attorney general, Sunday said he has worked to increase access to mental health care by expanding the Law Enforcement Treatment Initiative in counties across the state.

“This is something police are doing in collaboration with the community to help people get mental health treatment,” he said.

Overall, Sunday said combating political violence requires a multi-layered approach.

“When we look at the issue of political violence, it comes down to the type of leadership we exhibit — how we talk to other people. Just because someone is a political opponent doesn’t make them an enemy,” he said. “We need to be aware of the dangers of social media and also increase access to mental health treatment.”