Who Assassinated Conservative Commentator Charlie Kirk, 31, Unclear as Nation Mourns
The university says that Kirk was struck down by a ‘single shot’ that was fired ‘from a building about 200 yards away.’
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has died after being shot in the neck during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. There was a suspect in custody but that person was later released, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
President Trump announced Kirk’s death in a post on Truth Social. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Mr. Trump wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Orem Police, Utah Valley University Police, the FBI, and the Utah Department of Public Safety are all investigating the shooting. The university closed its campus and canceled classes until further notice.
Footage of the incident circulating online shows Kirk speaking while seated under a tent before recoiling backward after a single shot was heard. Kirk appeared to be shot in the neck. Other videos show the crowd of students dispersing.
The event was part of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” hosted by the Turning Point USA chapter at the university. Just minutes before the shooting, Kirk had posted enthusiastically about the event on X, stating, “WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour.”
The shot rang out while Kirk was speaking about transgender gun violence. Videos posted on social media show that Kirk was hit while answering an audience member who asked, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America in the last 10 years?”
A university spokeswoman, Ellen Treanor, stated that Kirk was struck by a “single shot” that was fired “from a building about 200 yards away” at about noon on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old was one of the most influential figures among conservatives and in 2012 he helped found a prominent conservative youth group, Turning Point USA. He is known for staging open Q&A sessions with students at universities across the country.
Kirk was married to podcaster and businesswoman, Erika Kirk, with whom he shared two children.
