Charlie Kirk, a prominent right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot during a public event in Utah on Wednesday.
Hereunder are five facts about the killing, which has sent shockwaves through America’s political landscape.
1. The Shooting at Utah Valley University:
The 31-year-old conservative figure was addressing a crowd at Utah Valley University when the fatal gunshot rang out around noon. Kirk, dressed in a white T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Freedom”, had been answering questions under a tent in the student courtyard.
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at the scene, recounted the chilling moment, “As soon as that shot went out, he fell back. Everybody hit the deck… a lot of people started screaming, and then everybody started running.”
Video footage from a nearby location showed Kirk collapsing as blood spurted from his neck before he was rushed away on a stretcher by his security detail.
2. A Targeted Attack:
Authorities described the shooting as a “targeted attack.” According to Utah’s Department of Public Safety, the shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a nearby building down into the courtyard where the event was held.
Two men were briefly detained and questioned but later released, with officials stating that neither had “current ties to the shooting.” One of them, George Zinn, has been charged with obstruction.
3. The Event Was Part of a National Tour:
Kirk was on the first stop of a 15-event speaking tour scheduled to run through the end of October. The activist, who co-founded the largest conservative youth movement in the United States in 2012 at just 18 years old, had built a reputation as one of Trump’s most vocal defenders on issues ranging from free speech to culture wars.
4. Bipartisan Condemnation of Political Violence:
News of Kirk’s death drew swift reactions across the political spectrum. President Trump announced it on his Truth Social platform, writing, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.”
Vice President Kamala Harris also condemned the shooting, stating that “political violence has no place in America.”
5. Trump Blames the ‘Radical Left’:
While authorities continue the manhunt, Trump directly linked Kirk’s killing to what he described as dangerous rhetoric from his political opponents.
In a somber video address from the Oval Office, Trump vowed to crack down on those he holds responsible, “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today. My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”
