Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during a campus appearance at Utah Valley University, in what Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called a "political assassination" carried out by a rooftop gunman. The shooting, which occurred during Kirk's "American Comeback Tour" event, prompted a massive police response, campus evacuation, and bipartisan calls to address rising political violence.
"This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation," Cox said at a press briefing, pledging that the suspect - who was taken into custody but not yet publicly identified - would face the death penalty if convicted. Authorities have not announced charges or a motive.
Videos verified by the Associated Press show Kirk speaking into a microphone under a tent when a single shot rang out. The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder grabbed the left side of his neck as blood poured out, and panicked spectators screamed and ran for cover. Witnesses said the shot was fired from a roof overlooking the Sorensen Center courtyard.
Kirk had been answering a pointed question about mass shootings just moments before the gunfire. "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?" one audience member asked. Kirk replied, "Too many." Seconds later, he was struck by the fatal bullet.
President Donald Trump, who has frequently praised Kirk's work galvanizing young conservative voters, announced the death on Truth Social. "Great, and even Legendary," Trump wrote. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie." Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation.
The shooting disrupted campus operations, forcing evacuations and lockdowns. Armed officers canvassed neighborhoods near the university, showing residents photos of a person of interest.
Kirk's death quickly sparked outrage across the political spectrum. "The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible," California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X. Former Democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, herself a survivor of an assassination attempt, called the murder "heartbreaking" and offered condolences to Kirk's wife and children.
On Capitol Hill, tensions boiled over. A moment of silence for Kirk erupted into a shouting match when Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) asked the House to pray for him. Democrats shouted about a school shooting that occurred in Colorado the same day, while Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), a former Turning Point USA staffer, yelled back, "You caused this!" prompting Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-Conn.) to shout, "Pass some gun laws!"
Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) said the scene was "a reminder that we need to turn the temperature down in this country," while Rep. Dan Meuser (R-Pa.) called the Democratic response "classless." Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has faced calls from Republicans to allow a formal prayer for Kirk on the House floor.
Founded in 2012, Turning Point USA grew from a small Illinois-based campus initiative to a major conservative youth movement with close ties to Trump. Kirk's confrontational style and embrace of culture-war politics made him a fixture on conservative media and a polarizing figure on campuses. An online petition to bar him from appearing at Utah Valley University had garnered nearly 1,000 signatures ahead of Wednesday's event.
