Summary
- Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder, was shot Wednesday.
- The incident occurred during an event at Utah Valley University.
- Kirk is in critical condition at hospital.
- Suspect apprehended; FBI and ATF investigating.
Videos of Kirk being struck while lecturing and sitting under a tent in the Utah Valley University courtyard have gone viral on social media. Kirk was there as a member of the Utah Valley branch of TPUSA, which hosts The American Comeback Tour. Additionally, there is video of students fleeing the campus after hearing gunshots.
Kirk is in critical condition at a hospital, a law enforcement officer told the Associated Press.
"It doesn't look good,"
a TPUSA official told CBS of Kirk, confirming that he had been wounded in the neck.
In a post on X on Wednesday afternoon, the university said:
“UVU campus is closed. Classes cancelled. Those on campus, secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus. We ask for your patience throughout this process. We are providing updates as best as possible. This is an ongoing and unfolding event.”
According to a Utah Valley University spokeswoman who talked to the New York Times, Kirk was hit by a suspect who fired from a building some 200 yards away.
Although he had previously stated that there was a suspect in custody, university spokesperson Scott Trotter also told the Times that
"a person who was taken into custody after the shooting was not actually the shooter."
No suspect is being held.
Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, said on X that "those responsible will be held fully accountable" and that he would "continue to share updates."
“Violence has no place in our public life. Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act. Our prayers are with Charlie, his family, and all those affected,”
he wrote.
Mike Lee, a Utah senator, posted on X shortly after reports broke that Kirk had been shot to say he is
“tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely. Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”
Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social:
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
JD Vance, the vice-president, tweeted:
“Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.”
Those sentiments were echoed by the secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth:
“Prayers for Charlie Kirk. An incredible Christian, American, and human being. May the healing hand of Jesus Christ be upon him.”
The FBI director, Kash Patel, said the FBI is
“closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University … Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
Eyewitnesses told the Guardian that Kirk was being questioned about mass shootings when he was shot in the neck.
Deseret News reporter Emma Pitts, who was at the event, said that Kirk was on his second question and that it was “regarding mass shootings”.
“The person he was debating had asked about if he knew how many mass shootings had involved a transgender shooter to which Kirk responded,”
Pitts said. Then,
“he asked how many mass shootings had [there] been in the last couple of years”
and
“before he could even answer, we heard a gunshot and we just saw Charlie Kirk’s neck turn to the side and it appeared that he had been shot in the neck”.
“There was blood, immediately a lot of blood,”
Pitts said.
“After the shots were fired, everyone immediately took to the ground … we were just trying to stay hidden.”
Another reporter from Deseret News who attended the event, Eva Terry, told the Guardian that the gunfire appeared to have come from the middle to the right side of the crowd.
The suspect seemed to be "an older gentleman, probably in his late 50s to 60s, wearing what looks like a worker's uniform," Terry stated in his description.
California Governor Gavin Newsom swiftly denounced the shooting, calling "the attack on Charlie Kirk" "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible." We in the United States of America must oppose all forms of political violence.
Shortly before shots rang out, Kirk tweeted: “WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour.”
How are security protocols being reviewed after the attack?
Universities and event organizers conduct thorough reviews of existing security plans, focusing on identifying gaps in access control, crowd management, and emergency response protocols.
Future events featuring controversial or high-profile figures will undergo more rigorous risk evaluations to determine necessary security measures, including threat intelligence and crowd dynamics analysis.
Universities are likely to increase the number of trained security personnel at events, potentially including collaboration with local law enforcement, private security firms, and rapid response teams.