Charlie KirkCEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA Deadly shot At an event at the University of Utah.
Kirk was President Donald Trump’s top podcaster, cultural warrior and ally. he Leading effort To remake the GOP’s voting efforts in the 2024 election based on theory, there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote, but could persuade him to vote.
His murder on Wednesday is Latest examples of political violence In the US Various political ideologies Influence Both major political parties.
Here’s what you need to know about Kirk’s shooting:
Allison Hemingway Witty screams after Charlie Kirk was filmed during a Turning Point visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Wednesday, September 10, 2025
One gunshot fired from the roof
Kirk was speaking at a discussion hosted by Utah Valley University Turning Point USA when authorities said the shooter had been fired from a distant rooftop.
In a video posted on social media, Kirk sat under a white tent talking to a handheld microphone. A single shot sounds, and Kirk reaches out with his right hand as blood gushs out from the left side of his neck.
Utah Valley is the state’s largest public university with 47,000 registrations. It is approximately 40 miles (64 km) south of the state capital of Salt Lake City.
Law enforcement officials are preparing to clean the Utah Valley University building in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)
Kirk’s murderer hunt
The shooter targeted one person, said Beau Mason, a commissioner for the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Police were working Thursday, and authorities had identified the university’s population and shooters who said “it looks like a college age.” After firing the shot, the shooter jumped off the roof and slid down in mayhem. According to the FBI, a high-power bolt-action rifle was recovered from the area.
Federal, state and local governments worked what they called “multiple aggressive crime scenes.” There is little information about the shooter’s identity, motivation, location, or evidence.
Authorities were reviewing grainy security videos of mysterious people dressed in dark clothing.
Gov. Spencer Cox called the murder “political assassination.”
Cox said the interested person was in custody Wednesday evening, but no charges were released immediately. According to the Republican governor, authorities had no information indicating that the second person was involved.
Officers were seen looking at photos on their mobile phones and showing them to people near the scene of the filming.
The two were taken into custody Wednesday, but neither of them has been decided to lead to shootings and both have been released, public security officials said.
The university said the campus would soon be evacuated and remained closed. Classes have been cancelled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until officers were able to safely escort them.
President Donald Trump will shake hands with moderator Charlie Kirk on Thursday, March 22, 2018 at the next generation White House Forum in the Executive Office Building in Eisenhower, in Washington’s White House Complex.
Rising from Kirk’s Trump aide to a major conservative influencer
Kirk was 18 years old when he co-founded Turning Point, a Chicago suburb in 2012 with William Montgomery. Tea Party Activist. They aimed to take their own ideas because they had low taxes and limited government to university campuses.
Turning Point enthusiastically supported Trump after winning a presidential GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to his then-son son, Donald Trump Jr. during the general election campaign.
Trump’s connection helped fuel the turning point It will become more noticeable. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable television, where he leaned against the culture war to praise the president.
The group’s contributions have doubled and then tripled. An analysis of publicly available tax returns showed that it ultimately rose to $79.2 million in 2022. The group currently exists on high school and university campuses with nearly 4,000 people and says it operates as a conservative lifestyle brand that promotes hundreds of online influencers.
Kirk was known for his previous provocative statements about race Court Z Voters.
“Sorry. If you see the Black Pilot, they say, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,'” Kirk said in a 2024 podcast episode with right-wing activist Jacques Posoviek.
Kirk stubbornly opposed the establishment. June As a federal holiday. He said the move to raise the date was motivated by “anti-American” sentiments that promoted the “separationist view,” which argued that it had to be replaced by Independence Day.
Wellwisher was overcome after dropping flowers at Turning Point USA National HQ in Phoenix on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the University of Utah. (AP photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Politicians unite by condemning attacks
Republicans and Democrats too He quickly condemned the attack.
Trump lowered the flag to half the price and issued a presidential declaration. President suffered minor ear injuries while he was there Filmed at a campaign event Last year he and Kirk said they had a close relationship.
He described Kirk on the True Society as “A great man from top to bottom. God bless him!”
“An attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, sleazy and condemned,” said Gavin Newsom, a Democratic California governor who hosted Kirk on a podcast last March.
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Previous versions of this story have misplaced the activist’s last name. His name is Jacques Posoviek, not Posoviek.
