This is a developing story. Information may change as authorities release more details.
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, authorities said. He was 31.
Police said Kirk was struck by a single round fired from the roof of a building about 200 yards from the campus venue shortly after 1 p.m. local time. Kirk’s wife, Erika, and their two young children were on campus at the time of the shooting, according to Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. No one else was injured.
President Donald Trump mourned Kirk’s death in a post on Truth Social, calling him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk” and ordering U.S. flags nationwide to be lowered to half-staff through Sunday. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote.
Details about the suspect remain unconfirmed at this time.
Kirk had been scheduled to begin a 14-city “American Comeback Tour” with Turning Point USA, with stops planned in Colorado, Minnesota, Virginia, and Montana. Known for his outspoken conservative commentary, “Prove Me Wrong” campus debates, and a large social media following, Kirk built Turning Point into one of the nation’s most visible right-leaning student organizations.
Born Oct. 14, 1993, in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Kirk briefly attended Harper College before co-founding Turning Point at 18. He was an evangelical Christian and outspoken supporter of Trump. His wife, Erika, survives him along with their 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son.
Reactions from political leaders and officials
According to reporting by The Christian Post, tributes and calls for prayer quickly poured in from across the political spectrum.
The president addressed the shooting within minutes on the official White House account on X. “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” the statement attributed to Trump said.
Vice President JD Vance called Kirk a “genuinely good guy and young father” in a post on X, adding, “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk.” In a later post, Vance shared a photo of him and Kirk together, writing, “Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.”
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that investigators were “closely monitoring reports” and that agents were headed to Utah Valley University. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation,” Patel said.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, urged his followers to pray: “[Please] join me in praying for Charlie Kirk.”
Several Democrats also condemned the shooting. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X that “the attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.” Newsom noted that Kirk had appeared as a guest on his new podcast in March.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries also weighed in, writing: “Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”
