A manhunt is underway for the suspect who shot and killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk while he was speaking at a political event on a Utah college campus.
Chaos unfolded at Utah Valley University in the north-central city of Orem Wednesday afternoon after Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of the MAGA youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was hosting a question and answer event with students as part of his organization’s “American Comeback Tour,” which had just kicked off, when a single shot was fired.
Trump said Kirk was dead in a tribute on Truth Social.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” the president wrote. “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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Graphic footage circulating on social media showed the moment Kirk was hit by the bullet, bleeding heavily before he fell backward in his chair, in front of a horrified student audience.
Local, state and federal authorities are searching for the suspect, who remains at large, according to Orem Mayor David Young.
Here’s everything we know about the shooting so far:
What we know about the suspect
The suspect’s identity is unknown and the shooter remains on the loose as Orem Police, Utah Valley University Police, the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety carry out an active manhunt.
Authorities swooped on the campus and the surrounding area following the violence, and officers are currently carrying out searches around the bordering neighborhood. Authorities are knocking on doors and asking for information as the suspect remains at large.
A law enforcement source told CNN the weapon has not yet been recovered.
U.S. Marshals are on standby to support the manhunt, but they have not yet been deployed, the source added.
There was earlier confusion after a campus alert stated that a suspect had been arrested but this turned out to be a different individual who was not the shooter.
University officials have since confirmed that no one has been arrested in connection to the shooting. “There is no suspect in custody, it is an active investigation,” said Ellen Treanor, a university spokesperson.
The campus remains closed and classes are canceled until further notice, the university said. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police officers can safely escort off campus.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he had spoken with the president on the phone and the Republican vowed to bring the person responsible to justice.
“I just got off the phone with President Trump. Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy,” Cox said in a post on X. “Abby and I are heartbroken. We are praying for Charlie’s wife, daughter, and son.”
Who is Charlie Kirk?
Kirk was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, which is present in over 3,500 high schools and college campuses, with over 250,000 student members nationwide, according to its website.
He formed the group in 2012 when he was 18 years old and emerged as an influential voice among Trump’s supporters with an audience on his social media channels and streaming video networks that reach millions of followers.
Kirk used his influence to campaign for Trump in the 2024 presidential election, and he spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer.
His organization arranged transportation for supporters to protest the 2020 presidential election result in Washington, D.C. on January 6, 2021.
Turning Point USA spokesperson at the time, Andrew Kolvet, said that Kirk never advocated violence.
“Charlie wants to save America with words, persuasion, courage and common sense,” Kolvet said, NBC News reported last year. “The left is desperate to conjure up some Christian boogeyman that simply doesn’t exist. We’re telling churches: Either get involved and have a say in the direction of your country or you’ll leave a void that someone else who doesn’t share your values will fill.”
Utah college campus event was ‘met with divided opinion’
Kirk was hosting his organization’s “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot. The Utah college campus was the first stop on the tour, which was set to make stops at campuses across the country this fall.
The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for 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 “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
Political figures unite in condemning violence
Political figures from the right and left have united in condemning Wednesday’s violence.
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom described the incident as “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
“In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote on X.
Former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris said she was “deeply disturbed” by the shooting. “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America,” Harris said. “I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson said: “We ask everyone to pray for him and his family…This is detestable what has happened. Political violence has become all too common in American society, and this is not who we are.”
Former President Barack Obama added: “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
