Commentator Charlie Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead on Wednesday during a mass event at a university in Utah, causing a huge shock among Republican ranks at a time marked by rising political violence in the country.
The 31-year-old conservative activist, one of the youngest figures in the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, was shot in the neck while participating in a debate at Utah Valley University (UVU) in front of some 2,000 people."The great, even legendary, Charlie Kirk has passed away," Trump reported on the Truth Social platform, shortly after he had been transferred in critical condition to Timpanogos Hospital in the city of Orem, in the state of Utah. The moment of the shot, which occurred moments after he spoke about gun violence in the US, was captured from various angles by the crowd present at the event and spread on social networks. After learning of his death, the Republican president ordered the country's flags to be flown at half-staff until Sunday afternoon. in honor of Kirk,"a truly great American patriot."
Although the academic center reported that a suspect had been arrested, The New York Times later detailed that the detained person is not the author of the shot.
A spokeswoman for UVU, Ellen Treanor,
indicated for her part that the suspect shot the conservative activist from about 180 meters, as detailed by Fox News.
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Shock over his death amid rising political violence
As the FBI's search for the shooter continues, leading political figures joined forces to mourn the murder and condemn the violence against one of the country's most influential figures. Both his ally Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance asked for prayers for Kirk."Grant him, Lord, eternal rest," the second-in-command of the United States tweeted after his death was confirmed."The attack on Charlie Kirk is repugnant, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States, we must reject political violence in all its forms," said California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat."Charlie was a close friend and confidant. He will be deeply missed by many. Every political leader must strongly and resoundingly condemn this violence. Our prayers are with his wife and young children. May he rest in peace," wrote House Speaker Mike Johnson. While the motive for the shooting is currently unknown, Kirk's murder comes at a time when political violence has been on the rise in the U.S. over the past year. The U.S. president was the victim of at least two failed attacks last year during his election campaign to return to the White House. The most shocking was in July 2024 when he was wounded by a gunshot to the ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Also, last June, Democratic Minnesota State Congresswoman Melissa Hortman and her husband were shot and killed in their home in what authorities called a"politically motivated murder."
In the same incident, Democratic Senator John Hoffman and his wife, also from Minnesota, were wounded by multiple gunshots in another attack committed by the same person. Born in October 1993 in Illinois, Kirk, who was married and the father of two children, was an activist, writer, and commentator primarily known for founding Turning Point,
a student organization that promotes conservative values.
The commentator, who lived in the southwestern US state of Arizona, used to participate in university debates where he pitted his ideas against those of progressive students.
Kirk also lent his support to Trump at several of his campaign rallies
last year and was present at the current president's inauguration ceremony.His event in Utah was part of his first stop on a planned tour of several universities in the country to mobilize youth.
