Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and cofounder of Turning Point USA, has been shot dead while speaking at a university event in Utah in what authorities believe was a targeted attack.
Kirk, 31, was addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University—about 40 miles (63 km) from Salt Lake City—when a single shot rang out. He collapsed after the bullet struck him. A volunteer who witnessed the attack, Jeb Jacobi, described the scene: “I was on the third row from the bottom. I saw Charlie collapse in a pool of blood, and he was dragged off and carried over to the car. It was shocking to see.”
President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death Wednesday via a post on Truth Social. He praised Kirk for his influence among young people and ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-mast in his honour until Sunday.
In a statement from the White House, Trump placed part of the blame for the killing on political rhetoric, accusing the “radical left” of stoking “violence and murder … by demonising those with whom you disagree, day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination.” Cox described it as a “dark day” for the state and for the nation, emphasising that Kirk was “first and foremost a husband and dad to two young children.” He added, “Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people.”
Authorities say the shooter may have fired from a rooftop. Beau Mason of the Utah Department of Public Safety said security camera footage shows a suspect dressed in dark clothing. Meanwhile, the person detained earlier has since been released after questioning. Federal investigators say the inquiry remains ongoing.
The event where Kirk was speaking had already been controversial. A petition had urged the university to block the appearance, accusing Kirk of opposing “the values of understanding, acceptance, and progress that many of us hold dear.” The university, however, defended the event on free speech grounds.
Kirk had become a well-known figure in conservative youth activism, organising large events on college campuses, especially during his support for Trump’s campaigns. He recently spoke of the threat of political radicalism, saying his mission was to “stop a revolution.”
