Charlie Kirk, the conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday while speaking at an event on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, authorities and media reports said. Law enforcement agencies were conducting a manhunt for a suspect as officials and political figures responded to the shooting.
According to witnesses and local officials cited in media reports, the 31-year-old was struck in the neck while taking a question at the "American Comeback" event and collapsed. Friends and attendees carried him from the stage and he was transported to a hospital, where he later died, the reports said. Utah police and the FBI said they were searching for a shooter; university officials said the shot appeared to have come from the roof of a nearby building about 200 yards from the stage.
Video circulating on social media showed attendees running and screaming in the moments after the gunfire, and police initially detained an elderly man who was later released. A witness quoted in national reporting said she heard the shot and described chaotic scenes as people fled; others on the scene provided similar accounts to reporters.
The shooting prompted an immediate law-enforcement response and widespread media coverage. President Donald Trump posted a tribute on his social media platform, calling Kirk "a great, and even legendary" figure and expressing condolences to his family; White House officials announced that flags would be lowered to half-staff through Sunday evening in his honor, according to the post and subsequent statements.
Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, and two young children, reports said. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May, according to the reporting.
The incident also sparked a heated reaction online. Multiple social media posts celebrated Kirk's death or suggested he "deserved" to be shot, while others expressed sorrow and condemnation. Media organizations and commentators drew scrutiny for their on-air remarks and analysis in the hours after the shooting. Coverage included a range of descriptions of Kirk's public profile, and at least one analyst publicly cautioned that full details about the shooter and motive were not yet known.
Lawmakers in Washington responded as the situation developed. House Speaker Mike Johnson led a moment of silence on the chamber floor, and a request by Rep. Lauren Boebert for a moment of prayer was met by audible reactions from some other members, according to video and reporting from the scene.
Kirk built a national profile by organizing conservative student groups and frequently appearing at campus events and on cable news. The shooting occurred during an event attended by students and supporters, and university officials said campus safety measures were activated immediately.
Authorities urged anyone with information or footage related to the shooting to contact local law enforcement. The FBI and Utah police said the investigation was ongoing and declined to release further details while the search for a suspect continued.