Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist known for mobilizing young Republican voters and maintaining close ties with President Donald Trump, was fatally shot on Wednesday while attending an event at a Utah college—an attack Utah’s governor decried as a politically motivated assassination executed from an elevated position.
Kirk passed away not long after the incident.
Law enforcement authorities, still hunting for a suspect late Wednesday, have shifted their focus to a new person of interest, according to sources familiar with the investigation.
The incident has heightened concerns over the rising incidence of political violence in the United States, which in recent years has impacted figures across the political spectrum. While condemnation poured in from both sides of the aisle, the path to addressing the underlying issues fueling such violence remained unclear.
Trump calls it a “dark moment for America” in a video message. “Filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination,” he said.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
Kirk’s death occurred as he addressed attendees at a debate hosted by his nonprofit. Moments before the gunfire erupted, he was fielding questions from the audience surrounding gun control and mass shootings.
Social media footage shows Kirk engaged in discussion under a tent labeled “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong,” when a shot rings out. The crowd reacts in shock and panic as Kirk, struck in the neck, collapses. The attack took place at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the Orem, Utah campus.