Charlie Kirk is dead. He was assassinated on stage Wednesday at Utah Valley University, where he was launching his American Comeback Tour. The shooting took place just as he began responding to a question from an audience member about mass shootings carried out by transgender people.
The shooter was still at large, despite some reports claiming an arrest had been made. Videos circulated on social media show a man being arrested by police. Even before Kirk's death was confirmed, Trump spoke about him in the past tense, telling The New York Post, "He's not doing well...yes, it looks very bad," and admitting he was feeling "not good" about the situation.
Death Confirmed by Trump
"He was a very, very good friend of mine and he was a tremendous person," the president said. Kirk had been rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency surgery, with his condition described as critical. A nurse shared with Laci Williams — a longtime friend and former Turning Point USA staffer — that his situation was touch-and-go. Williams later confirmed reports to The New York Post that Kirk had died.
Dramatic video from the scene shows the conservative influencer suddenly lurching backward, recoiling in pain, and clutching at his neck as the crack of a single gunshot echoed through the crowd.
Kirk, 31, had been holding a Q&A session under a pop-up tent on campus when, according to sources and a university spokesperson, a gunman opened fire with a long gun from the university's Losee Center, about 200 feet away. The shot sent thousands of spectators scrambling in panic.
Death of a Youth Icon
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event with his family, told Fox News that the gunfire erupted as Kirk was answering his second question, which was about transgender shooters.
"He fell back to his left. Everybody hit the deck. Everybody was screaming, then everybody was running," Chaffetz recalled.
He noted that while Kirk did have some security guards positioned in front of him, there were no bag checks at the entrance and the overall police presence at the event was minimal.
Chaffetz also told the outlet he believed it was "no coincidence" that Kirk was shot during the question about transgender mass shootings, though he admitted, "he may be criticized for that."
He added that he thought the shot was fired from close range, directly from the front of the stage.
