Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University in what Utah Governor Spencer Cox described as a political assassination carried out from a rooftop.
“This is a dark day for our state and a tragic day for the nation. I want to be very clear: this is a political assassination,” Cox said.
No suspect was in custody late Wednesday. Authorities said they were searching for a new person of interest. Two individuals initially detained were released after authorities found no connection to the shooting.
Kirk, 31, co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, was addressing an audience of around 3,000 people as part of his “The American Comeback Tour” when a single shot struck him in the neck. Videos circulating on social media showed Kirk collapsing and blood gushing from his wound, while spectators screamed and scattered. The shooter reportedly fired from a rooftop some distance away.
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on social media, calling him “great, and even legendary,” and later referred to him as a “martyr for truth and freedom,” blaming the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the attack.
The university evacuated its campus and canceled classes, with armed officers patrolling surrounding areas and questioning residents to identify the shooter. Kirk’s visit had sparked controversy on campus, with a petition calling to bar him from speaking garnering nearly 1,000 signatures. The university defended his appearance citing First Amendment rights.
The shooting drew bipartisan condemnation. Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” while former Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords expressed her condolences to Kirk’s family, which includes his wife and two young children.
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 with William Montgomery, had become a prominent figure in conservative circles, mobilizing young Republicans and promoting limited government and low taxes on college campuses. He also served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr. during the 2016 election campaign and frequently appeared on cable news to discuss cultural and political issues.
The incident highlights growing concerns over political violence in the United States, with recent years seeing attacks targeting representatives across the ideological spectrum.