Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and staunch Trump ally, was shot dead at a Utah campus event. He was known for fiery Christian nationalist rhetoric and mobilising young conservatives.
Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump who was instrumental in mobilising young Republican voters, was shot dead on Thursday during a college event in Utah.
The assassination occurred during an event that marked the launch of Kirk’s planned college tour, spanning from Colorado to Virginia and dubbed ‘The American Comeback Tour,’ aimed at rallying young voters behind Trump and the Republican Party.
A door-to-door manhunt has been launched for the shooter, but law enforcement authorities have yet to detain anyone in connection with the murder.
The attack comes amid rising political violence across the United States, spanning both the left- and right-wing movements.
US President Donald Trump led the tributes, calling Kirk “the great, and even legendary, Charlie Kirk.” He blamed the ‘radical left’ for the murder and vowed to find everyone responsible for the killing.
In a statement on Truth Social, Trump praised Kirk’s unique bond with America’s younger generation. “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,” Trump said.
Offering condolences to Kirk’s family, Trump added: “Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
As tributes poured in, Trump issued a symbolic gesture of national mourning. In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.”
NO SUSPECT IN CUSTODY AS PROBE INTO SHOOTING CONTINUES
FBI Director Kash Patel said that the person who was in custody in relation to the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been released after being interrogated by law enforcement.
“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” he said in a post on X.
FROM DEBATE TO VIOLENCE IN SECONDS
Videos posted to social media show Kirk seated under a white tent bearing the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong,” speaking into a handheld microphone. Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organisation. He was in the middle of a question-and-answer session on gun violence when the attack occurred.
An audience member asked him, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?”
Kirk replied, “Too many.”
The questioner pressed further: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
Kirk responded, “Counting or not counting gang violence?”
Moments later, a single shot rang out. Video shows Kirk reaching toward his neck as blood poured from the left side. Gasps and screams filled the tent as panicked spectators fled.
Authorities said a person was detained after the shooting but clarified that the individual was not the suspect. It remained unclear Wednesday night whether law enforcement was still searching for a gunman.
The shooting comes amid a string of political violence across the United States, including the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker, a firebombing in Colorado, and last year’s attempted assassination of Donald Trump.
KIRK’S RISE AS A CONSERVATIVE FORCE
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at just 18, rose to national prominence with his unapologetic conservatism, frequent cable television appearances, and close alignment with Trump.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018 (AP Photo)
His appearance had drawn opposition on campus. An online petition urging university administrators to block him from speaking collected nearly 1,000 signatures. But last week, Utah Valley University said it would not cancel the event, citing First Amendment protections and its “commitment to free speech” and “constructive dialogue.”
Founded in suburban Chicago with tea party activist William Montgomery, Turning Point initially struggled before Kirk’s confrontational style attracted wealthy conservative donors. That support helped transform the group into a powerhouse of the American right.
