U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University, an attack Governor Spencer Cox described as a political assassination.
Authorities said the suspected gunman remained at large hours after the shooting, which occurred before thousands of attendees. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that one person had been questioned and released but stressed that the investigation was ongoing. “Our investigation continues,” Patel wrote on social media.
Governor Cox, speaking at a press conference, condemned the killing. “This is a dark day for our state, it’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination,” he said.
Cellphone footage circulating online showed the moment a single shot rang out while Kirk, 31, was addressing the crowd. He clutched his neck before collapsing from his chair, prompting chaos as the audience scattered. Authorities believe the shot was fired from a rooftop at a considerable distance.
Trump, in a video message from the Oval Office posted on his Truth Social platform, vowed to bring those responsible to justice. “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,” he said. He also ordered U.S. flags flown at half-staff until Sunday in Kirk’s honour.
The shooting occurred just as Kirk was fielding a question about gun violence. Asked by an audience member, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America in the last 10 years?”, Kirk replied, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Moments later, he was struck.
Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, played a central role in mobilising young voters for Trump’s successful re-election campaign last year. Trump once credited him, saying: “You had Turning Point’s grassroots armies. It’s not my victory, it’s your victory.”
Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum. Vice President JD Vance wrote on X: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries added: “I am shocked by the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Political violence of any kind and against any individual is unacceptable and completely incompatible with American values. We pray for his family during this tragedy.”
Kirk, who hosted the popular Charlie Kirk Show podcast and regularly appeared on Fox News, leaves behind his wife and two young children.
The killing underscores what security analysts say is the most sustained surge in political violence in the United States since the 1970s, following a string of recent attacks and assassination attempts on public
