Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college, officials said.
President Donald Trump said Kirk was shot and killed as he was speaking at Utah Valley University. The shooting quickly drew reaction from leading political figures, including some .
Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone at the university’s Sorensen Center courtyard, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans, 鈥淭he American Comeback鈥 and 鈥淧rove Me Wrong.鈥
A single shot rings out and Kirk reaches up with his hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream. Some run away.
A 鈥減erson of interest鈥 was in custody Wednesday evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced.
Here’s the latest:
Utah governor says Kirk’s death carries a tragic message for the state of the country
Gov. Spencer Cox said that Kirk had come to the Utah Valley University campus to represent his conservative views and debate. Targeting people for their ideas threatens the country鈥檚 鈥渃onstitutional foundations,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.鈥
Cox said the first of the inalienable rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is 鈥渓ife, and today a life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to young children. He was also very much politically involved. And that鈥檚 why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people.鈥
President of the university where Kirk was killed calls his death tragic
Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez posted on X that the school is 鈥渟hocked and saddened鈥 by Kirk鈥檚 death.
She expressed her condolences to his family and said they are grieving with the many people from the school who saw the 鈥渦nspeakable tragedy鈥 unfold.
鈥淲e firmly believe that UVU is a place to share ideas and to debate openly and respectfully. Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here,鈥 the statement said.
Kirk backers leave flowers at Turning Point headquarters
The flags outside Turning Point USA鈥檚 Phoenix headquarters have been lowered to half staff.
Bouquets of flowers delivered by well-wishers are piling up by the main door to one of at least three buildings that make up Turning Point鈥檚 campus. The organization鈥檚 presence has grown steadily in a quiet neighborhood at the base of South Mountain park.
Former President George W. Bush says violence must be 鈥榩urged from the public square鈥
Bust lamented the killing and said 鈥渁n open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct鈥 on a college campus, where Kirk was shot.
In his statement, Bush added: 鈥淢embers of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.鈥
The Republican ex-president closed the statement by asking God to bless Kirk and his family and 鈥済uide America toward civility.鈥
Another former president, Democrat Bill Clinton, wrote on X that he was saddened and angered by the killing, adding he hoped 鈥渨e all go through some serious introspection鈥 and 鈥渞edouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully.鈥
Kirk follower says he went to Turning Point USA鈥檚 headquarters to give large donation in person
Retiree Alex Lane said news of Kirk鈥檚 killing prompted him to head to the organization鈥檚 Phoenix headquarters and hand the organization a $10,000 check.
鈥淚 hope and trust that they鈥檙e going to continue with the message that he had,鈥 Lane, 54, told The Associated Press while standing outside the headquarters. Lane said he was a follower of Kirk鈥檚 and had given to Turning Point before, but never such a large sum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge loss, there鈥檚 no question about it,鈥 Lane said. 鈥淏ut I think the important thing for people to understand is that (Kirk鈥檚 message) is going to continue. The assassin didn鈥檛 stop it. If anything, I think it will bring more attention to his message.鈥
Lawmakers reflect on Kirk鈥檚 influence
Multiple Republicans in Congress knew Kirk personally and were devastated by his death.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida spoke on the Capitol steps, reflecting on his influence on her political journey. Luna said she was planning to go to medical school before Kirk recruited her to work as his national Hispanic outreach director. She attended events where Kirk debated students, like the one he hosted today.
鈥淭hat conversation needs to happen,鈥 Luna said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 squelch that.鈥
Kirk killed with single shot in supposed targeted attack, authorities say
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a 鈥減olitical assassination.”
A 鈥減erson of interest鈥 was in custody Wednesday evening, Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced.
鈥淭his is a dark day for our state,鈥 Cox said.
鈥淲e are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any information related to the shooting,鈥 he said.
Utah authorities said the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away.
RFK Jr., son and nephew of assassinated leaders, laments another loss
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to invoke his family鈥檚 losses as he reacted to Kirk鈥檚 killing.
鈥淥nce again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era,鈥 Kennedy wrote on social media. He called Kirk a 鈥渞elentless and courageous crusader for free speech.鈥
Kennedy鈥檚 father, for whom he was named, was assassinated in 1968 as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination.
The elder Kennedy was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War before many elected leaders in Washington. He also had been an advocate for civil rights legislation as attorney general during his brother鈥檚 presidency and after John F. Kennedy鈥檚 assassination in 1963.
Kirk fans pay their respects at the Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix
One man delivered flowers and wiped tears from his face as he left. He said he was too broken up to speak to reporters.
On the sidewalk, 14-year-old Samuel Monahan embraced his parents in prayer.
鈥淭his is what happens when we鈥檙e without God,鈥 said Monahan.
The teenager said he admired Kirk for being a man of God who cared about people. The country is so polarized, he said, 鈥渂ut it didn鈥檛 have to be that way because we all bow our heads under one flag and under one God.鈥
Former President Obama condemns Kirk鈥檚 鈥榙espicable鈥 killing
鈥淭his kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,鈥 former President Barack Obama wrote on X.
He said he and former first lady Michelle Obama will pray for Kirk鈥檚 wife and two young children.
Chaffetz says he鈥檚 angry about Kirk鈥檚 death
鈥淚t makes me mad. I鈥檓 so mad that this happened in our backyard. It鈥檚 an embarrassment,鈥 the Utah Republican former member of Congress told Fox News Channel.
Chaffetz was at the event where Kirk was shot.
鈥淲e鈥檙e better than this, but there鈥檚 somebody out there who is evil, absolute total, complete evil and they need to be taken down,鈥 he said.
Kirk鈥檚 appearance at Utah Valley University marked the kickoff of his national college tour
He was calling it 鈥淭he American Comeback Tour.鈥 And he was featuring his 鈥淧rove Me Wrong Table,鈥 where Kirk sat, as he was Wednesday, and fielded questions from students, including those who disagreed with him.
He also had appearances slated for Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Virginia Tech University, Utah State University, the University of North Dakota, Montana State University, Indiana University Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi over the next two months.
The scene around campus
Armed officers are walking around the neighborhood bordering the campus, 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.
Mayor urges people to report anything suspicious
Mayor David Young of the north-central Utah city of Orem says several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating and that the suspect in Kirk鈥檚 shooting remains at large.
Young says police in Orem and at Utah Valley University are among many agencies involved in the investigation.
Meanwhile, authorities have told anyone at Utah Valley University to 鈥榮ecure in place鈥 after Wednesday鈥檚 shooting. The campus was closed, and a post on the school鈥檚 emergency information page told those still on campus to call officials to be escorted out.
An increase in violence against public officials
Kirk鈥檚 killing follows instances of political violence in the United States in recent months, including the assassination of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington in May.
Though little is known about the shooter or the motive in this case, it can鈥檛 be ignored that polarization and normalization of violence have become threaded through U.S. politics, said Kurt Braddock, an assistant professor of public communication at American University.
Braddock pointed to data from Princeton University鈥檚 Bridging Divides Initiative, which shows that threat and harassment incidents against local officials also have been gradually increasing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving in a very dangerous direction, and I think we have been moving in this direction for quite some time,鈥 Braddock said.
Trump says Kirk is dead
The president posted on Truth Social that the conservative activist and his close ally died Wednesday after being shot at a college event in Utah.
鈥淣o 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.鈥
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he has ordered that all American flags across the U.S. be lowered to half-staff until 6 p.m. ET Sunday.
Kirk helped build support for Trump among young people
Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and Trump ally, during one of his trademark public appearances at a college in Utah. He was 31.
Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force 鈥 rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. His shooting is one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer鈥檚 shooting of Trump, that have roiled the nation.
A backer of Trump during the president鈥檚 initial 2016 run, Kirk took Turning Point from one of a constellation of well-funded conservative groups to the center of the right-of-center universe.
Kirk鈥檚 evangelical Christian beliefs were intertwined with his political perspective, and he argued there was no true separation of church and state.
He also referenced the Seven Mountain Mandate, which specifies seven areas where Christians are to lead 鈥 politics, religion, media, business, family, education and the arts, and entertainment.
Kirk argued for a new conservatism that advocated for freedom of speech, challenging Big Tech and the media, and centering working-class Americans beyond the nation鈥檚 capital.
Authorities are still searching for a suspect
The mayor of Orem, Utah, David Young, says the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk remains at large.
People at Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred, have been told to 鈥榮ecure in place鈥 and the campus is closed. A post on the school鈥檚 emergency information page told those still on campus to call officials to be escorted from the area by police.
A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
鈥 Michelle L. Price contributed
Person arrested is not a suspect, AP source says
A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect.
鈥 By Michelle L. Price
Trump says Kirk 鈥榳as a very, very good friend鈥
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said Kirk is 鈥渘ot doing well鈥 and 鈥渋t looks very bad.鈥
鈥淗e was a very, very good friend of mine and he was a tremendous person,鈥 Trump said.
The president of Dartmouth College says a Kirk invite to that campus was in demand
Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock says a bipartisan student group invited Kirk to that Ivy League campus for a Sept. 25 event.
Beilock says the event “was sold out within 10 minutes.鈥
Beilock made the comment during a media event Wednesday with other college presidents.
Victims of political violence show support for Kirk
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, posted that 鈥渢he horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.鈥 Pelosi鈥檚 husband was seriously injured in 2022 by a man wielding a hammer, who authorities said was a believer in conspiracy theories.
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a serious brain injury in a 2011 shooting in Arizona, said she was 鈥渉orrified鈥 to hear of Kirk鈥檚 shooting. 鈥淒emocratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence,鈥 she said on social media.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and potential national candidate, said, 鈥淲e must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society.鈥 A fire was set at his house.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was the subject of a kidnapping plot, said on social media that 鈥渨e should all come together to stand up against any and all forms of political violence.鈥 Two men were imprisoned for their 2020 plot to kidnap the governor during her first term.
A Republican at the event says he heard one shot
A former U.S. representative for Utah鈥檚 3rd congressional district, Jason Chaffetz, says when the shot rang out, Kirk had just been asked a question by someone in the crowd about transgender people and shootings.
鈥淎s soon as I saw Charlie go back, you realize that it was a shot,鈥 Chaffetz says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 as if there was a whole bunch of gunfire. It was one shot.鈥
Elected officials react to the shooting
鈥 Vice President JD Vance: 鈥淒ear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.鈥
鈥 Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: 鈥淧olitical violence must be always and totally rejected,鈥 Buttigieg wrote on X. 鈥淧raying for him and all who may have been injured or impacted.鈥
鈥 Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: 鈥淭he attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying. Political violence has no place in this country and should never become the norm. I鈥檓 sending my sympathies to his family and friends at this time.鈥
鈥 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: speaking at a news conference on Everglades restoration Wednesday, said Kirk was known for sparking political debate rather than advocating hate or violence. 鈥淭he way to resolve political disputes is not through violence. The way to do that is to ask questions, debate,鈥 he said.
鈥 Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper: 鈥淰iolence is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the attack on Charlie Kirk and political violence in all forms. I鈥檓 praying for his swift recovery.鈥
鈥 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: “I鈥檓 horrified by the shooting of Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah. Political violence has no place in our country.鈥
鈥 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: 鈥淧raying for @charliekirk11鈥
Kirk is in critical condition
A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that Kirk is being treated and is in critical condition. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
鈥 By Alana Durkin Richer
Utah Valley University is the state鈥檚 largest public university
With nearly 47,000 students, Utah Valley University has grown to become the largest public university in Utah.
It鈥檚 located about 40 miles (65 miles) south of Salt Lake City, the state capital, and was founded in 1941 as a vocation school. From those beginnings, its enrollment has jumped five-fold over the past three decades.
The college is not affiliated or owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.
Bipartisan rejections of political violence continue
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and a potential 2028 presidential candidate, called the shooting 鈥渃hilling & horrific鈥 in an X post.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another Democrat and potential national candidate, said, 鈥淲e must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society.鈥
Republican Senate Leader John Thune of South Dakota posted: 鈥淭here is no place in our country for political violence. Period, full stop.鈥
Gabby Giffords says she is horrified about the shooting
Giffords, a former U.S. representative for Arizona who suffered a serious brain injury when she was shot in 2011, posted on X about the attack on Kirk.
鈥淚鈥檓 horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah,鈥 she wrote Wednesday.
鈥淒emocratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.鈥
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA
The event at Utah Valley University had been met with divided opinions on campus.
An online petition urging university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures.
The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its 鈥渃ommitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.鈥
Trump says, ‘we must all pray for Charlie Kirk.’
鈥淎 great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!鈥 the president said in a post on Truth Social.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is 鈥渃losely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk.鈥
Vice President JD Vance also called for prayers, calling Charlie Kirk 鈥渁 genuinely good guy and a young father.鈥
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi, and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined the chorus of Trump officials offering their prayers to Kirk.
Support also came from across the aisle.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the shooting 鈥渄isgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.鈥
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: 鈥淧olitical violence has absolutely no place in our nation.鈥
Aubrey Laitsch at Turning Point USA confirms Charlie Kirk has been hospitalized.
鈥淗e is in the hospital, and we are praying for him at this time,鈥 said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA.
Former Utah congressman says Kirk had some security but not enough
Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said told Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.
鈥淚t seemed like it was a close shot,鈥 Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke.
He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.
鈥淯tah is one of the safest places on the planet,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd so we just don鈥檛 have these types of things.鈥
