U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that U.S. right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk has died after being shot during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Multiple media reports also say Kirk has died, and the New York Times said a spokesperson confirmed his death.

A university spokesperson said police did not have a suspect in custody, after the school initially reported that someone had been taken into custody.

Video of the incident circulating on social media showed Kirk, 31, addressing a large outdoor crowd when a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot rang out. Kirk can be seen briefly moving his hand to his neck as he falls off his chair, sending the attendees running.

In another clip, blood can be seen gushing from Kirk's neck immediately after the shot. Reuters has not confirmed the authenticity of the videos.

"A shot was fired from a nearby building," a university spokesperson told Reuters in an email.

Kirk was transported to a hospital and underwent surgery, according to a university spokesperson.

Local TV station KSL-TV aired video of an older man wearing a blue shirt being led away by police following the attack. Media outlets have reported this man was not the suspect, citing university sources.

Reactions to shooting

Kirk, an influential ally of Trump and co-founder of Turning Point USA, the largest conservative youth organization in the country, played a key role in driving youth support for Trump last November. His events at college campuses nationwide typically draw large crowds.

"WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour," Kirk had written on X ahead of the event.

Kirk has been an effective voice for the conservative movement. He has 5.2 million followers on X and hosts a popular podcast and radio program, The Charlie Kirk Show. He has also recently co-hosted Fox & Friends on Fox News.

After winning a second term, Trump credited Kirk for mobilizing younger voters and voters of colour in support of his campaign during a rally in Phoenix in December.

"You had Turning Point's grassroots armies," Trump said."It's not my victory, it's your victory."

Kirk was part of an ecosystem of pro-Trump conservative influencers who have helped to amplify the president's agenda. He would frequently attack mainstream media and engage in culture war issues around race, gender and immigration, often in a provocative style.

Both Republican and Democratic politicians expressed support for Kirk following the shooting.

"Political violence is NEVER acceptable," Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, said on X."My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family."

Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre also responded on social media, writing on X,"We must all strongly denounce the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is NEVER justified."

Speaking event had mixed reception

Kirk's speaking 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.

Kirk was sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans,"The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong," and addressing a crowd at the Sorensen Center courtyard when the shot was fired.

"As soon as I saw Charlie go back, you realize that it was a shot," Jason Chaffetz, a former U.S. representative for Utah's third congressional district, told The Associated Press."It wasn't as if there was a whole bunch of gunfire. It was one shot."

The crowd scattered in the wake of the shooting. Police have since cordoned off the scene.

While the motive for the shooting is unknown, the United States is undergoing its most sustained period of political violence since the 1970s. Reuters has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated violent acts since Trump supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.