Charlie Kirk shooting latest: Trump blames ‘radical left’ as manhunt underway for killer of MAGA activist on Utah campus – UK Times

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X an earlier “subject” who was being questioned has since been released.

“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,” Patel said.

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.

Influential right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s wife Erika shared a Bible verse about seeking help during difficult times just hours before he was shot dead.

“Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” the former Miss Arizona USA, 36, shared Wednesday afternoon on X. Erika, who runs her own ministry as well as a faith-driven clothing brand, only resumed posting psalms to her X account two days before the fatal shooting.

Her post has now become a place where those in mourning have responded with tributes and condolences after her husband Charlie Kirk was fatally shot.

The Turning Point USA founder, 31, was about 20 minutes into his presentation at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, when a single shot rang out, striking him in the neck. Video from the scene shows Kirk bleeding profusely from his neck before falling backward.

Bystander video from the outdoor event at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem shows Kirk sitting in a tent-like booth, holding a microphone and addressing the crowd, when a shot suddenly rings out. The bullet hits Kirk in the neck and blood could be seen gushing from his wound. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the age of 31.

“It’s a bummer because whoever did this was able to enter the premises with a firearm,” eyewitness Justin Hicken told The Independent in a phone interview a short time later.

“It’s just a sad thing. I’m very conservative myself, I’m pro-2nd Amendment,” Hicken said. “But at the end of the day, you’ve got to make sure you’re taking good, secure measures when you’re hosting events like this. Because all it takes is one lunatic.”

Speaker Mike Johnson paused the House in the middle of a series of votes to call a prayer and moment of silence for Charlie Kirk, who died after he was shot in the neck at a Utah university event on Wednesday (10 September).

But, when Representative Lauren Boebert asked for the prayer to be read aloud, several Democrats appeared to object, saying other shootings had not been given the same treatment.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told Fox News that he was “very angry with what happened today”.

“Obviously they gotta catch this guy. We need a very quick death penalty prosecution. I don’t wanna see this take forever and a day. We need justice for this,” he said.

On Wednesday, Kirk was being questioned about mass shootings when he was shot in the neck during an event.

Donald Trump blamed the “radical left” for the fatal shooting.

Utah Valley University, where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during his appearance, resisted calls to cancel his talk despite a petition signed by nearly 1,000 people.

Last week, the university emphasized its commitment to free speech and released a statement on “Free Expression and Neutrality”.

“At Utah Valley University, we affirm our commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue. The university respects the rights of student clubs and organisations to invite various speakers to campus.

As a public institution, UVU upholds First Amendment rights and fosters an environment where ideas — popular or controversial — can be exchanged freely, energetically, and civilly,” the administrators said.

After the fatal shooting, the university president Astrid Tuminez wrote that Kirk “was invited by the student group Turning Point USA to speak on our campus”.

Kirk was the founder of the student group that invited him.

Donald Trump has ordered national flags be flown at half mast to honor Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was fatally shot on Wednesday.

“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.,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Tributes poured in from across the political spectrum for Charlie Kirk following his fatal shooting on Wednesday.

Barack Obama said: “This kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy.

“Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”

Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said it was a “dark day for America”.

“Charlie championed open dialogue for the good of our nation, and he was killed for it,” she said.

Former US president Joe Biden said: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence.“It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose father and uncle were both assassinated, mourned Charlie Kirk’s death, calling him “our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech”.

He wrote: “Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era”.

He added: “We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country.”

His cousin, Jack Schlossberg, also commented: “Charlie Kirk was assassinated today. We are all weaker because of it. A tragedy. I am thinking of his family.”