U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk has died after being shot during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. He was 31.
His death was first announced on social media by U.S. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Kirk’s.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Video of the incident circulating on social media shows Kirk addressing a large outdoor crowd under a tent, holding a microphone, when a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot rang out. Kirk can be seen briefly moving his hand to his neck as he falls off his chair, sending the attendees running.
In another clip, blood can be seen gushing from Kirk’s neck immediately after the shot.
Utah’s governor called the shooting a “political assassination.”
‘I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination,’ Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said, speaking to media at Utah Valley University after the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk Wednesday.
“This is a dark day for our state,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said. “We are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any information related to the shooting.”
Utah authorities said the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away. They said there were about 3,000 people gathered at the event.
Cox said a “person of interest” was in custody, but officials gave conflicting accounts on whether the suspected shooter had been apprehended.
FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that “the subject” was in custody, but local police officials said the shooter was at large.
Shortly after that, Beau Mason, the head of the Utah Department of Public Safety, also said the suspect was still at large.
“While the suspect is at large we believe this was a targeted attack,” he said.
A university spokesperson initially reported the suspect had been taken into custody but later said that was not the case.
Local TV station KSL-TV aired video of an older man wearing a blue shirt being led away by police following the attack. Media outlets have reported this man was not the suspect, citing university sources.
Kirk was taking questions about gun violence
Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked.
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
Kirk was transported to a hospital and underwent surgery, according to a university spokesperson.
Utah Valley University said the campus was immediately evacuated and remained closed. Classes were cancelled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police officers could safely escort them off campus.
Armed officers walked around the neighborhood bordering the school, knocking on doors and asking for information on the shooter.
Officers have been seen looking at a photo on their phones and showing it to people to see if they recognize a person of interest.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk has died after being shot during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Multiple media reports also say Kirk has died, and the New York Times said a spokesperson confirmed his death. Video of the incident circulating on social media showed Kirk addressing a large outdoor crowd when a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot rang out.
Reactions to shooting
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA, the largest conservative youth organization in the country, played a key role in driving youth support for Trump last November. His events at college campuses nationwide typically draw large crowds.
“WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour,” Kirk had written on X ahead of the event.
Kirk was an effective and significant voice for the conservative movement. He had 5.2 million followers on X and hosted a popular podcast and radio program, The Charlie Kirk Show. He has also recently co-hosted Fox & Friends on Fox News.
After winning a second term, Trump credited Kirk for mobilizing younger voters and voters of colour in support of his campaign during a rally in Phoenix in December.
“You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies,” Trump said. “It’s not my victory; it’s your victory.”
Kirk was part of an ecosystem of pro-Trump conservative influencers who helped amplify the president’s agenda. He would frequently attack mainstream media and engage in culture war issues around race, gender and immigration, often in a provocative style.
The shooting drew swift bipartisan condemnation, with Democratic officials joining Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation, and Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the violence.
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile and reprehensible,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X.
“The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends,” said Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a 2011 shooting in her Arizona district.
Speaking event had mixed reception
Kirk’s speaking event at Utah Valley University had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition urging university administrators to bar him from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures.
Kirk was sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans, “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong,” and addressing a crowd at the Sorensen Center courtyard when the shot was fired.
“As soon as I saw Charlie go back, you realize that it was a shot,” Jason Chaffetz, a former U.S. representative for Utah’s third congressional district, told The Associated Press. “It wasn’t as if there was a whole bunch of gunfire. It was one shot.”
While the motive for the shooting is unknown, the United States is undergoing its most sustained period of political violence since the 1970s. Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated violent acts since Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
