Missouri and Kansas flags are flying at half-staff this week. Here’s why
If you’re wondering why flags around Kansas and Missouri are flying at half-staff, there are two reasons.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump ordered American flags to be placed at half-mast until sunset on Sept. 14, “as a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk.”
The conservative influencer and founder of Turning Point USA was fatally shot at a speaking event in Utah on Sept. 10.
Trump’s order requires the lowering of flags at federal buildings.
State buildings in Missouri will have their flags at half-staff, following the order from Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe. Kehoe posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “deeply saddened to hear of Charlie Kirk’s passing.”
On Friday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced that Kansas will lower its flags “remembrance of Charlie Kirk, Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, and all victims and survivors of political violence.””
Flags were already set to be at half-mast on Thursday. This is an annual practice to honor the victims of terrorist attacks against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. Each anniversary since the attacks, American flags are lowered from sunrise to sunset.
Why are flags lowered in Missouri and Kansas?
There are numerous reasons flags are flown at half-staff, including celebrating a national holiday or the death of a state official.
The governor handles directives in each state. There are pre-determined dates for lowering flags, and the governor’s office will announce any additional dates.
Flag directives can be issued by the president for flags on federal property, which can be followed at the state level through the governor’s offices.
Here are some of the reasons flags in Missouri and Kansas were lowered in recent months:
- Sept. 3: death of Hunter Simoncic, Kansas City, Kansas police officer killed in line of duty
- Aug. 30: death of Missouri Representative Ken Waller
- Aug. 27: in honor of victims of shooting at a Minneapolis school
- Aug. 11: death of Elijah Ming, Wyandotte County deputy killed in line of duty
- July 5: death of Brandon Gaede, Phillips County, Kansas deputy killed in line of duty
- May 27: Memorial Day
You can sign up for email updates on flag directives in Missouri and Kansas, which is an invitation for non-government buildings to lower their flags.
The Star’s Joseph Hernandez contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 11, 2025 at 12:58 PM.
