Conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday (Sept 10) during a college event in Utah. He was 31. US President Donald Trump confirmed the news on Truth Social, calling Kirk “great and legendary.”
“No one understood the heart of America’s youth better than Charlie. He was loved by all, especially me,” Trump wrote. “Melania and I send our deepest sympathies to his wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you.”
Kirk’s spokesman Andrew Kolvet confirmed his death to The New York Times.
The shooting occurred around 12:10 p.m. at Utah Valley University, where Kirk was answering a student’s question during his “American Comeback Tour.” A bullet struck his neck, and he was rushed to hospital by security. Graphic videos of the incident spread rapidly online, with bipartisan figures offering prayers and condemning the attack.
Police initially detained a suspect but later released him, while the FBI and local authorities continue to search for the shooter.
Born in suburban Chicago, Kirk was a right-wing media personality and CEO of Turning Point Action, a group pivotal in Trump’s reelection. He also founded Turning Point Faith and Turning Point Academy.
Kirk rose to prominence through his viral “Prove Me Wrong” campus debates and his radio show The Charlie Kirk Show. He often courted controversy, opposing gay marriage, mask mandates, and spreading election fraud claims after 2020.
Ahead of the 2024 election, Kirk became one of the most visible figures in the MAGA movement, mobilizing young voters nationwide. Even Democrats acknowledged his influence: California Governor Gavin Newsom once praised his organizing skills on campuses, while denouncing the Sept 10 shooting as “disgusting and vile.”
Prominent leaders including Vice President Kamala Harris, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator JD Vance also condemned the assassination.
Kirk is survived by his wife Erika Frantzve and their two children.
