Tim Allen included a "somber prayer" for the family of Charlie Kirk in a social media post marking the 24th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The 72-year-old actor wrote on X to his roughly 1.1 million followers: "On this sad and [sic] day remembering 9-11. I add a somber prayer for Charlie Kirk's family. This is a very dark moment." The post came less than 24 hours after the 31-year-old conservative activist was fatally shot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was pronounced dead following the shooting in the Sorensen Center courtyard, where video circulated online shows him speaking into a microphone before a gunshot rang out. Reports said the shot struck him in the neck. Turning Point USA said in a statement that "early this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven." The organization said he is survived by his wife, Erika, 36, and their two young children, a three-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.
Allen was among a number of public figures who offered condolences and prayers after the shooting. Actress Candace Cameron Bure, who had posted earlier asking followers to "pray for Charlie" when he was reported in critical condition, later posted: "We love you Charlie. Well done, good and faithful servant," accompanied by broken-heart emojis. Former President Donald Trump, via the White House's X account, called Kirk "great, and even legendary," and extended sympathies to his wife and family. Actors Chris Pratt and Mandy Moore also posted tributes, with Pratt saying he was "praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country," and Moore writing that there was "no room for political violence in the discourse. Ever."
Authorities are continuing to investigate the shooting. Video of the incident circulated widely on social media after the attack, showing the moment Kirk was struck. News organizations and Turning Point USA officials reported on the episode and published the organization's statement on Kirk's death.
The shooting prompted a wave of responses from across the political and entertainment spheres, with public figures calling for prayers, condemning political violence and expressing sorrow for Kirk's family. Allen's post linked the national day of remembrance to the immediate tragedy affecting Kirk's loved ones, noting the overlap in timing between the anniversary and the fatal attack.
As investigations proceed and public figures respond, Kirk's death has drawn attention to the security of speaking events and the broader discourse surrounding political activism and public life. Officials have not publicly released further details about the suspect or motive as of the time of Allen's post and the subsequent statements quoted by news outlets.