Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed on Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Kirk, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was answering audience questions when the shooting happened.
An attendee had asked him about gun violence. “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the person asked.
“Too many,” Kirk replied.
The questioner pressed again: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk responded. Seconds later, a gunshot rang out.
Video from the scene shows Kirk grabbing his neck as blood poured out. Panic followed as the crowd screamed and ran for safety.
Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on his Truth Social account, describing him as “Great, and even Legendary,” and adding that “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”
Police said the suspected shooter is still at large. A man detained earlier on campus was later cleared and is not connected to the attack.
The event had faced opposition. Nearly 1,000 students signed a petition asking the university to cancel Kirk’s appearance, but officials said the event was protected under free speech rights. Days earlier, Kirk had posted on X mocking the controversy, writing: “What’s going on in Utah?”
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was present, told Fox News he heard one close-range shot and saw Kirk fall back. He criticized the “light police presence” at the event.
