Mister Metokur put it in words much better than I ever could. What I think affected both Sam Hyde and Metokur (and thousands other men around the world) was that Kirk's wife and children saw him get shot. I don't know if Sam Hyde has kids, I know Metokur doesn't but I got the impression he wanted them and decided against it because of his sickness and not being able to take care of them.
At least from the male perspective, when you get kids, you discover two new greatest fears you can imagine. Fears you've never known before. Fears that make your blood turn to ice when you think about them.
First is obviously, the fear that your children will die before you do.
The second is that your children will lose you before they're ready for life on their own.
This second fear can almost make that stupid Killary quote "Women are the primary victims of war" make sense.
One of the things I can't get out of my head is the video of Charlie's older daughter running into his lap during some show. Him talking how coming back home to his children is better than meeting any president.
Having kids that are around the same age as Charlie's, I know both of them were asking "where's dad" the next hour, next day, next week, next month. My kids ask that when I'm at work. And the same for my wife.
Then finding out Charlie's daughter ran to him because she got scared of the noise of the shot... It's so heartbreaking.
Fuck the shooter. I hope he gets death penalty. I don't know how miss Kirk can forgive him, I never could.