was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at , authorities said.
Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.
No one was in custody Wednesday evening as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk鈥檚 killing.
People are also reading…
鈥淭his is a dark day for our state. It鈥檚 a tragic day for our nation,鈥 said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. 鈥淚 want to be very clear this is a political assassination.鈥
The shooting comes amid a spike in in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.
Here's the latest:
At least 200 people attend Scottsdale, Arizona, vigil to honor Kirk
With moderate winds picking up at times, people clutched candles that wouldn鈥檛 stay lit and little U.S. flags while reciting Catholic prayers and singing verses. The Rev. Daniel Cruz led a rosary.
John Yep, president and CEO of Catholics for Catholics and a friend of Kirk鈥檚, was the only other speaker at the vigil, which was also livestreamed. He shared how he sent Kirk a text after learning of his passing today.
鈥淚 want you to know we鈥檙e gonna honor your blood, your sacrifice and your tears,鈥 Yep said, summarizing his text. 鈥淵our little tiny kids are gonna know that when their dad was taken from this Earth, that we came here and prayed.鈥
Scottsdale, where Kirk has a home, is a suburb of Phoenix, where Kirk鈥檚 Turning Point organization has its headquarters.
People gather outside hospital where Kirk was pronounced dead
The crowd outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital lined the road, holding American flags as passing cars honked. Visitors placed lit candles, bouquets of flowers and small American flags in front of a large hospital sign.
As the sun set in Utah, some attendees read Bible passages, while others spoke about continuing the work that Kirk had begun.
Kirk event attendee describes scattered belongings in wake of shooting
Erynn Lammi, a 35-year old student in attendance who heard the gunshot, stayed back rather than immediately evacuating.
After the panic subsided, Lammi saw belongings, including AirPods, phones, keys and trash, strewn across the steps of the courtyard.
When she returned home, Lammi sobbed, feeling for Kirk鈥檚 wife and children as she was reminded of the loss of her own father when she was 13 years old.
One of the emotions she said she felt as she cried: 鈥淧owerlessness.鈥
鈥業t was a nightmare鈥
Ryan DeVries, who works in property management and volunteers as a first responder, left his firearm in his car before attending Kirk鈥檚 event, anticipating metal detectors. He said he was surprised by the lack of security.
The 25-year-old was weaving his way through the tightly-packed crowd to pose a question to Kirk when, at about 50 feet (15 meters) away, he heard what sounded like a 鈥減opping鈥 firework. Then he saw Kirk鈥檚 head slumped.
A stampede rife with terror and panic soon erupted, DeVries said. Some attendees darted to a nearby building and ran through a water fountain to escape. Others ducked down.
鈥淧eople definitely feared for their lives. I could see it in their eyes. I could hear it in their voices. People were crying. People were screaming. It was a nightmare,鈥 DeVries said.
DeVries walked up to the university鈥檚 Turning Point student chapter table, where he joined its members in a prayer for Kirk.
鈥淚t was a come together moment.鈥
Thousands of people went to see Kirk speak
Authorities say about 3,000 people attended the Utah college event where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed.
The Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday evening that the event was held at an outdoor bowl courtyard on campus known as the university quad. It is a common spot for campus events.
Black Lives Matter affiliate calls on US political leaders to 鈥榗ondemn all political violence鈥
鈥淲e cannot ignore the flames of political violence threatening society,鈥 said Shalomyah Bowers, a leader of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc.
Charlie Kirk had maligned the Black Lives Matter movement at the heigh of a national reckoning on racism.
鈥淲e are committed to breaking the pattern of reactionary violence, moral relativism, and dehumanization 鈥 and urge everyone to resist calls for revenge,鈥 Bowers said. 鈥淰igilante justice has no place in a just society. Not on the left. Not on the right. Not in response to racism, and not in the name of righteousness. It must be rejected, always.鈥
Graphic video of Kirk shooting was everywhere online, showing how media gatekeeper role has changed
Traditional news organizations were cautious in their coverage of not to depict the moment he was shot, instead showing video of him tossing a hat to his audience moments before, and panicked onlookers scattering wildly in the moments after.
In practical terms, though, it mattered little. Gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly across social media platforms, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Millions of people watched.
In the fragmented era of social media, smartphones and instant video uploads, editorial decisions by legacy media are less impactful than ever.
There can also be an important message sent by news outlets being cautious in what they show, Cornell University professor Sarah Kreps said. 鈥淚t can be a signal for how things should be stigmatized, rather than validated or normalized.鈥
But on the day of the shooting in a politically polarized country, the easy availability of shocking images ran the risk of making society鈥檚 wound even more painful.
鈻 Read more here about
Trump condemns 鈥榙emonizing鈥 of political opponents
Trump has condemned the 鈥渄emonizing鈥 of political opponents in the U.S. even as he claimed the rhetoric of the 鈥渞adical left鈥 was 鈥渄irectly responsible鈥 for the assassination of Kirk.
Authorities have not named a suspect and no one is in custody for the killing.
In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday, Trump called Kirk 鈥渁 martyr for truth and freedom.鈥
The Republican president faced two assassination attempts during last year鈥檚 campaign, and he was wounded in one.
In his remarks, Trump mentioned shootings of United Healthcare鈥檚 chief executive and Republican Rep. Steve Scalise. But he omitted any reference to attacks on Democrats, such as the killing of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman.
鈥淩adical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,鈥 he said.
Vigil held at park in Orem, Utah
A few dozen people gathered, holding electric candles in the slanting afternoon light. Bible verses were read to the quiet onlookers.
A witness testified of what she observed: The crack of a gunshot, Kirk keeling over and then her run through campus.
This post has been updated to correct the name of the city where the vigil was held to Orem, not Omer.
鈥榃e鈥檝e got something to fight for鈥
Cari Bartholomew, state director of Utah Moms for America, said she had taken her 17-year-old son out of school so he could attend Kirk鈥檚 event. They were joined by other moms from the group and their kids.
Bartholomew鈥檚 son was in line waiting to ask a question when the gunshot rang out. Chaos ensued and she couldn鈥檛 find him as people ducked for cover and started running. She later learned her son was unharmed.
鈥淎ll of us, we were trying to grab the little kids and getting them as near to us as possible,鈥 she said.
She said some students were visibly distraught while others laughed, and said she鈥檚 concerned that people are being taught to hate others who have viewpoints different from their own.
Rather than fall into a place of fear, Bartholomew said she hopes people will be inspired to pick up where Kirk left off and continue to push for civil engagement.
鈥淚 hope that it gets people to steel their spines,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got something to fight for.鈥
Banner in Kirk鈥檚 memory installed outside Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix
鈥淢ay Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior,鈥 the large banner reads alongside a photo of Kirk and the Turning Point logo.
No one is currently in custody, authorities say
Authorities are seeking a new person of interest in Kirk鈥檚 assassination, according to a law enforcement official.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The Utah Department of Public Safety has also confirmed no one is currently in custody in the investigation into Kirk鈥檚 killing.
By Alanna Durkin Richer, Lindsay Whitehurst and Zeke Miller.
UVU campus is clear
Utah Valley University said in a post on X that the campus is 鈥渁ll-clear.鈥
鈥淭here is NO ongoing threat to campus,鈥 the post Wednesday evening said.
The university added that the campus will still be closed until Monday amid the ongoing investigation.
Status of search for shooter is unclear
It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear whether anyone remained in custody or if the shooter was still at large as law enforcement provided evolving and difficult-to-reconcile information.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who earlier in the day posted on social media that a 鈥渟ubject鈥 had been taken into custody, later wrote that the person had been released after being questioned.
Utah authorities had separately said a person of interest was in custody, but it wasn鈥檛 immediately clear if that was the same person Patel referenced as having been released.
Police presence still heavy around shooting scene
Police helicopters still were circling over Orem in the early evening, and roadblocks caused congestion on the roads surrounding the Utah Valley University campus.
Armed officers walked around in small groups. Just off campus, a man stood on a street corner holding a sign that read 鈥淩.I.P. Charlie鈥 and a parade of trucks drove through town flying American flags in his honor.
After Kirk鈥檚 killing, security measures heightened for 9/11 anniversary events in New York
New York City police say the killing in Utah is prompting added security for events in the city marking the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Vice President JD Vance is set to attend tomorrow鈥檚 memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site while President Donald Trump is scheduled to be at the night game pitting the Yankees against the Tigers.
Security around the 9/11 commemorations in New York is always comprehensive, with street closures, a large police presence and the Sept. 11 memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan closed to the public.
Officials didn鈥檛 detail exactly how security would be increased.
Moments before the shooting
Video shows Kirk had been taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
鈥淒o you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?鈥 an audience member asked.
Kirk responded, 鈥淭oo many.鈥
The questioner followed up: 鈥淒o you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?鈥
鈥淐ounting or not counting gang violence?鈥 Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
Thousands turned out for Kirk鈥檚 appearance and police were also present
Jeff Long, chief of Utah Valley University Police Department, says six officers working at Kirk鈥檚 campus event and more than 3,000 people were in attendance.
The police chief says his officers coordinated their operation with Kirk鈥檚 security team, and plainclothes police officers were also present.
At the time he was shot, Kirk was speaking to the throng in a low area surrounded by campus buildings.
Long said law enforcement tries to get the 鈥渂ases covered.鈥 But he added, 鈥渦nfortunately today we didn鈥檛, and because of that we have this tragic incident.鈥
Students, meanwhile, told The Associated Press they saw no metal detectors or bag checks. The amount of security appeared consistent with other speaking engagements on Kirk's national tour.
FBI appeals to the public for information about the shooting
The FBI鈥檚 Salt Lake City office has added an online form to its website where the public can report information about Kirk鈥檚 killing.
The form says the FBI is 鈥渟eeking information regarding the shooting at Utah Valley University that took place on September 10, 2025.鈥
It asks the person submitting the form to include their name and contact information and then includes a section for information about the incident.
Donald Trump Jr. says Kirk wasn鈥檛 a threat to anyone
In a lengthy social media post, President Trump鈥檚 son says Kirk wasn鈥檛 just a friend, but was 鈥渓ike a little brother to me鈥 and a 鈥渢rue inspiration.鈥
Trump Jr. said Kirk 鈥渃hanged the direction of this nation鈥 because 鈥渢here is no question that Charlie鈥檚 work and his voice helped my father win the presidency.鈥
He said Kirk was civil and kind, and listened and responded with respect.
鈥淭he only 鈥榯hreat鈥 he ever posed was that he was incredibly effective. He was a powerful messenger of truth, and people heard that truth. That鈥檚 what made him a target.鈥
Democrats in Congress mourn Kirk
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan appeared visibly upset while speaking to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. She said that she cried when she found out that Kirk had died.
鈥淎ll of us have got to work together and deescalate the heat and the rhetoric in this country, she said. Dingell added: 鈥淎nd remember we鈥檙e Americans, and you can disagree in a way that doesn鈥檛 end in the horrible way today did.鈥
Rep. Jamie Raskin expressed condolences to Kirk鈥檚 family, adding, 鈥淲hat a nightmare this whole thing is.鈥
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very dark time with the political violence spiraling out of control and gun violence a threat to everybody,鈥 Raskin continued.
Utah governor says Kirk鈥檚 death carries a tragic message for the state of the country
Gov. Spencer Cox said that Kirk had come to the Utah Valley University campus to represent his conservative views and debate. Targeting people for their ideas threatens the country鈥檚 鈥渃onstitutional foundations,鈥 he said.
鈥淲e just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.鈥
Cox said the first of the inalienable rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is 鈥渓ife, and today a life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to young children. He was also very much politically involved. And that鈥檚 why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people.鈥
Kirk backers leave flowers at Turning Point headquarters
The flags outside Turning Point USA鈥檚 Phoenix headquarters have been lowered to half staff.
Bouquets of flowers delivered by well-wishers are piling up by the main door to one of at least three buildings that make up Turning Point鈥檚 campus. The organization鈥檚 presence has grown steadily in a quiet neighborhood at the base of South Mountain park.
Former President George W. Bush says violence must be 鈥榩urged from the public square鈥
Bush lamented the killing and said 鈥渁n open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct鈥 on a college campus, where Kirk was shot.
In his statement, Bush added: 鈥淢embers of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.鈥
The Republican ex-president closed the statement by asking God to bless Kirk and his family and 鈥済uide America toward civility.鈥
Another former president, Democrat Bill Clinton, wrote on X that he was saddened and angered by the killing, adding he hoped 鈥渨e all go through some serious introspection鈥 and 鈥渞edouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully.鈥
Kirk follower says he went to Turning Point USA鈥檚 headquarters to give large donation in person
Retiree Alex Lane said news of Kirk鈥檚 killing prompted him to head to the organization鈥檚 Phoenix headquarters and hand the organization a $10,000 check.
鈥淚 hope and trust that they鈥檙e going to continue with the message that he had,鈥 Lane, 54, told The Associated Press while standing outside the headquarters. Lane said he was a follower of Kirk鈥檚 and had given to Turning Point before, but never such a large sum.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a huge loss, there鈥檚 no question about it,鈥 Lane said. 鈥淏ut I think the important thing for people to understand is that (Kirk鈥檚 message) is going to continue. The assassin didn鈥檛 stop it. If anything, I think it will bring more attention to his message.鈥
Lawmakers reflect on Kirk鈥檚 influence
Multiple Republicans in Congress knew Kirk personally and were devastated by his death.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna of Florida spoke on the Capitol steps, reflecting on his influence on her political journey. Luna said she was planning to go to medical school before Kirk recruited her to work as his national Hispanic outreach director. She attended events where Kirk debated students, like the one he hosted today.
鈥淭hat conversation needs to happen,鈥 Luna said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 squelch that.鈥
Kirk killed with single shot in supposed targeted attack, authorities say
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a 鈥減olitical assassination."
A 鈥減erson of interest鈥 was in custody Wednesday evening, Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced.
鈥淭his is a dark day for our state,鈥 Cox said.
鈥淲e are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any information related to the shooting,鈥 he said.
Utah authorities said the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away.
RFK Jr., son and nephew of assassinated leaders, laments another loss
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to invoke his family鈥檚 losses as he reacted to Kirk鈥檚 killing.
鈥淥nce again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era,鈥 Kennedy wrote on social media. He called Kirk a 鈥渞elentless and courageous crusader for free speech.鈥
Kennedy鈥檚 father, for whom he was named, was assassinated in 1968 as he sought the Democratic presidential nomination.
The elder Kennedy was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War before many elected leaders in Washington. He also had been an advocate for civil rights legislation as attorney general during his brother鈥檚 presidency and after John F. Kennedy鈥檚 assassination in 1963.
Kirk fans pay their respects at the Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix
One man delivered flowers and wiped tears from his face as he left. He said he was too broken up to speak to reporters.
On the sidewalk, 14-year-old Samuel Monahan embraced his parents in prayer.
鈥淭his is what happens when we鈥檙e without God,鈥 said Monahan.
The teenager said he admired Kirk for being a man of God who cared about people. The country is so polarized, he said, 鈥渂ut it didn鈥檛 have to be that way because we all bow our heads under one flag and under one God.鈥
Former President Obama condemns Kirk鈥檚 鈥榙espicable鈥 killing
鈥淭his kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,鈥 former President Barack Obama wrote on X.
He said he and former first lady Michelle Obama will pray for Kirk鈥檚 wife and two young children.
Chaffetz says he鈥檚 angry about Kirk鈥檚 death
鈥淚t makes me mad. I鈥檓 so mad that this happened in our backyard. It鈥檚 an embarrassment,鈥 the Utah Republican former member of Congress told Fox News Channel.
Chaffetz was at the event where Kirk was shot.
鈥淲e鈥檙e better than this, but there鈥檚 somebody out there who is evil, absolute total, complete evil and they need to be taken down,鈥 he said.
Kirk鈥檚 appearance at Utah Valley University marked the kickoff of his national college tour
He was calling it 鈥淭he American Comeback Tour.鈥 And he was featuring his 鈥淧rove Me Wrong Table,鈥 where Kirk sat, as he was Wednesday, and fielded questions from students, including those who disagreed with him.
He also had appearances slated for Colorado State University, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Virginia Tech University, Utah State University, the University of North Dakota, Montana State University, Indiana University Louisiana State University and the University of Mississippi over the next two months.
The scene around campus
Armed officers are walking around the neighborhood bordering the campus, knocking on doors and asking for information on the shooter.
Officers have been seen looking at a photo on their phones and showing it to people to see if they recognize a person of interest.
Mayor urges people to report anything suspicious
Mayor David Young of the north-central Utah city of Orem says several local, state and federal law enforcement agencies are investigating and that the suspect in Kirk鈥檚 shooting remains at large.
Young says police in Orem and at Utah Valley University are among many agencies involved in the investigation.
Meanwhile, authorities have told anyone at Utah Valley University to 鈥榮ecure in place鈥 after Wednesday鈥檚 shooting. The campus was closed, and a post on the school鈥檚 emergency information page told those still on campus to call officials to be escorted out.
An increase in violence against public officials
Kirk鈥檚 killing follows instances of political violence in the United States in recent months, including the assassination of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington in May.
Though little is known about the shooter or the motive in this case, it can鈥檛 be ignored that polarization and normalization of violence have become threaded through U.S. politics, said Kurt Braddock, an assistant professor of public communication at American University.
Braddock pointed to data from Princeton University鈥檚 Bridging Divides Initiative, which shows that threat and harassment incidents against local officials also have been gradually increasing.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving in a very dangerous direction, and I think we have been moving in this direction for quite some time,鈥 Braddock said.
Trump says Kirk is dead
The president posted on Truth Social that the conservative activist and his close ally died Wednesday after being shot at a college event in Utah.
鈥淣o 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.鈥
Trump wrote on Truth Social that he has ordered that all American flags across the U.S. be lowered to half-staff until 6 p.m. ET Sunday.
Kirk helped build support for Trump among young people
Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and Trump ally, during one of his trademark public appearances at a college in Utah. He was 31.
Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force 鈥 rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. His shooting is one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer鈥檚 shooting of Trump, that have roiled the nation.
A backer of Trump during the president鈥檚 initial 2016 run, Kirk took Turning Point from one of a constellation of well-funded conservative groups to the center of the right-of-center universe.
Kirk鈥檚 evangelical Christian beliefs were intertwined with his political perspective, and he argued there was no true separation of church and state.
He also referenced the Seven Mountain Mandate, which specifies seven areas where Christians are to lead 鈥 politics, religion, media, business, family, education and the arts, and entertainment.
Kirk argued for a new conservatism that advocated for freedom of speech, challenging Big Tech and the media, and centering working-class Americans beyond the nation鈥檚 capital.
Authorities are still searching for a suspect
The mayor of Orem, Utah, David Young, says the suspect in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk remains at large.
People at Utah Valley University, where the shooting occurred, have been told to 鈥榮ecure in place鈥 and the campus is closed. A post on the school鈥檚 emergency information page told those still on campus to call officials to be escorted from the area by police.
A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
鈥 Michelle L. Price contributed
Person arrested is not a suspect, AP source says
A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect.
鈥 By Michelle L. Price
Trump says Kirk 鈥榳as a very, very good friend鈥
In a phone interview with the New York Post, Trump said Kirk is 鈥渘ot doing well鈥 and 鈥渋t looks very bad.鈥
鈥淗e was a very, very good friend of mine and he was a tremendous person,鈥 Trump said.
The president of Dartmouth College says a Kirk invite to that campus was in demand
Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock says a bipartisan student group invited Kirk to that Ivy League campus for a Sept. 25 event.
Beilock says the event "was sold out within 10 minutes.鈥
Beilock made the comment during a media event Wednesday with other college presidents.
Victims of political violence show support for Kirk
Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, posted that 鈥渢he horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.鈥 Pelosi鈥檚 husband was seriously injured in 2022 by a man wielding a hammer, who authorities said was a believer in conspiracy theories.
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who suffered a serious brain injury in a 2011 shooting in Arizona, said she was 鈥渉orrified鈥 to hear of Kirk鈥檚 shooting. 鈥淒emocratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence,鈥 she said on social media.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat and potential national candidate, said, 鈥淲e must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society.鈥 A fire was set at his house.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who was the subject of a kidnapping plot, said on social media that 鈥渨e should all come together to stand up against any and all forms of political violence.鈥 Two men were imprisoned for their 2020 plot to kidnap the governor during her first term.
A Republican at the event says he heard one shot
A former U.S. representative for Utah鈥檚 3rd congressional district, Jason Chaffetz, says when the shot rang out, Kirk had just been asked a question by someone in the crowd about transgender people and shootings.
鈥淎s soon as I saw Charlie go back, you realize that it was a shot,鈥 Chaffetz says. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 as if there was a whole bunch of gunfire. It was one shot.鈥
Elected officials react to the shooting
鈥 Vice President JD Vance: 鈥淒ear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.鈥
鈥 Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: 鈥淧olitical violence must be always and totally rejected,鈥 Buttigieg wrote on X. 鈥淧raying for him and all who may have been injured or impacted.鈥
鈥 Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: 鈥淭he attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying. Political violence has no place in this country and should never become the norm. I鈥檓 sending my sympathies to his family and friends at this time.鈥
鈥 Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis: speaking at a news conference on Everglades restoration Wednesday, said Kirk was known for sparking political debate rather than advocating hate or violence. 鈥淭he way to resolve political disputes is not through violence. The way to do that is to ask questions, debate,鈥 he said.
鈥 Former North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper: 鈥淰iolence is unacceptable. I strongly condemn the attack on Charlie Kirk and political violence in all forms. I鈥檓 praying for his swift recovery.鈥
鈥 New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: "I鈥檓 horrified by the shooting of Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah. Political violence has no place in our country.鈥
鈥 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: 鈥淧raying for @charliekirk11鈥
Kirk is in critical condition
A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that Kirk is being treated and is in critical condition. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
鈥 By Alana Durkin Richer
Utah Valley University is the state鈥檚 largest public university
With nearly 47,000 students, Utah Valley University has grown to become the largest public university in Utah.
It鈥檚 located about 40 miles (65 miles) south of Salt Lake City, the state capital, and was founded in 1941 as a vocation school. From those beginnings, its enrollment has jumped five-fold over the past three decades.
The college is not affiliated or owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.
Bipartisan rejections of political violence continue
Rep. Ro Khanna, a California Democrat and a potential 2028 presidential candidate, called the shooting 鈥渃hilling & horrific鈥 in an X post.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, another Democrat and potential national candidate, said, 鈥淲e must speak with moral clarity. The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society.鈥
Republican Senate Leader John Thune of South Dakota posted: 鈥淭here is no place in our country for political violence. Period, full stop.鈥
Gabby Giffords says she is horrified about the shooting
Giffords, a former U.S. representative for Arizona who suffered a serious brain injury when she was shot in 2011, posted on X about the attack on Kirk.
鈥淚鈥檓 horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah,鈥 she wrote Wednesday.
鈥淒emocratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.鈥
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA
The event at Utah Valley University had been met with divided opinions on campus.
An online petition urging university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures.
The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its 鈥渃ommitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.鈥
Trump says, 'we must all pray for Charlie Kirk.'
鈥淎 great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!鈥 the president said in a post on Truth Social.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI is 鈥渃losely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk.鈥
Vice President JD Vance also called for prayers, calling Charlie Kirk 鈥渁 genuinely good guy and a young father.鈥
Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Attorney General Pam Bondi, and House Speaker Mike Johnson joined the chorus of Trump officials offering their prayers to Kirk.
Support also came from across the aisle.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the shooting 鈥渄isgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.鈥
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: 鈥淧olitical violence has absolutely no place in our nation.鈥
Aubrey Laitsch at Turning Point USA confirms Charlie Kirk has been hospitalized.
鈥淗e is in the hospital, and we are praying for him at this time,鈥 said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA.
Former Utah congressman says Kirk had some security but not enough
Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said told Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.
鈥淚t seemed like it was a close shot,鈥 Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke.
He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.
鈥淯tah is one of the safest places on the planet,鈥 he said. 鈥淎nd so we just don鈥檛 have these types of things.鈥
