OREM (Realist English). Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, in what authorities described as a targeted attack. The gunman remained at large late Wednesday night.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned the shooting as “a political assassination,” calling it “a dark day for our state and a tragic day for our nation.” He pledged the suspect would be brought to justice.
According to Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, the shooter fired a single round from the roof of a nearby building as Kirk was answering an audience question about mass shootings. Video posted online showed Kirk collapsing as he bled from a neck wound while spectators screamed and fled. He was taken by private vehicle to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Roughly 3,000 people had gathered for the event, billed as the launch of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour.” Campus police had six officers present, alongside Kirk’s private security detail.
Authorities detained two people earlier in the day, but both were released after being cleared of involvement. By evening, investigators said they were seeking a new person of interest. Officials did not disclose a motive, but acknowledged the killing underscored rising threats of political violence across the United States.
President Donald Trump mourned Kirk in a televised address from the Oval Office, calling him “a martyr for truth and freedom.” He blamed “radical left rhetoric” for fueling the climate of political violence. Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff nationwide.
The attack drew condemnation across party lines. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, called the shooting “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.” Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 assassination attempt, said Kirk’s murder “breaks my heart” and extended condolences to his family.
Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and became a prominent ally of Trump, known for mobilizing young conservatives and clashing with liberal students on college campuses. He frequently appeared on television and at Republican conferences, where Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. often praised his work.
The Utah Valley University campus was evacuated and placed on lockdown following the attack. Classes were suspended until further notice, and police officers canvassed nearby neighborhoods with photos of a person of interest.
The assassination is the latest in a string of politically motivated attacks in the U.S. in recent years, including the June killing of a Minnesota state lawmaker, an arson attack at the Pennsylvania governor’s residence in April, and last year’s attempted assassination of Trump at a campaign rally.
