Charlie Kirk, a conservative commentator and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, university officials and his spokesman said.
Utah Valley University spokesperson Scott Trotter said in a statement that "on September 10, 2025, at 12:20 a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court on the Utah Valley University Orem Campus as Mr. Charlie Kirk began speaking at his planned rally." Kirk, 31, was hit by a single bullet to the neck, collapsed immediately and was rushed to a hospital, where his spokesman, Andrew Kolvet, confirmed he died. Authorities said the suspect was not in custody.
Police and the FBI said they had launched a major search for the shooter. Utah Gov. Charles Cox said he had spoken with former President Donald Trump and was working with federal and state law enforcement "to bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy." FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency was monitoring the situation, that agents would be on scene quickly, and that the FBI stood in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.
Witnesses posted videos on social media showing Kirk seated under a white tent emblazoned with slogans from his "Great American Comeback" tour when a single shot rang out. In the footage, Kirk reaches toward his neck as blood is visible. People in the crowd screamed and ran. A witness identified by the Daily Mail, Sophie Anderson, said she was standing about 100 feet from the stage and saw him fall; other accounts described immediate confusion and chaos.
University officials said the shot was fired from the top of the Losee Center, about 200 feet away from where Kirk had been sitting. Officers initially detained an elderly man at the scene but later said he was not the shooter. UVU evacuated the campus and canceled classes for the rest of the day while law enforcement conducted searches and interviews.
Kirk had posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, minutes before the shooting, writing, "WE. ARE. SO. BACK" as he promoted the event, which was billed as the first stop on his "American Comeback Tour." An online petition seeking to bar Kirk from appearing at the university had gathered nearly 1,000 signatures in the days before the event. The university had said it was committed to free speech and constructive dialogue.
The attack drew immediate reactions from political figures across the spectrum. Former President Trump called Kirk "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk" on Truth Social and extended condolences to Kirk's wife, Erika Frantzve, and their children. Vice President J.D. Vance posted that people should "say a prayer for Charlie Kirk" before Kirk's death was publicly confirmed. Utah Sen. Mike Lee and California Gov. Gavin Newsom both urged prayers and condemned political violence.
Kirk, 31, co-founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit focused on campus outreach, and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a daily podcast with a large audience. He was a prominent figure at Republican National Convention events in 2016 and 2020 and had been listed previously on Forbes' 30 Under 30.
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, their three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. Kolvet said Kirk and his family had celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
The shooting contributes to a string of politically related attacks in recent months and years in the United States. Law enforcement and political leaders emphasized they would pursue the shooter and urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation proceeded.
Officials requested that anyone with information, or anyone who was at the event and has video or other evidence, contact local law enforcement. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said they would release additional details as they become available.