President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that conservative activist Charlie Kirk has died after being shot while speaking at an event on the Utah Valley University campus, two hours after initial reports of the shooting surfaced.
University spokespeople and videos verified by the BBC show Kirk had just begun speaking at an outdoor rally on the Orem campus when a single shot rang out and he appeared to jolt backward in his chair as students scattered in panic. Utah Valley University spokeswoman Ellen Treanor said the gunfire came from the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away, and university spokesman Scott Trotter said the shot occurred in the quad near the food court.
In the moments after the shooting, Trotter told reporters the university could confirm Kirk had been shot but that officials did not yet know his condition. Video footage circulating online and authenticated by the BBC shows students gathered around a white tent emblazoned with the words "THE AMERICAN COMEBACK" and "PROVE ME WRONG"; in one clip, Kirk is seen speaking for only a few seconds before the single gunshot is heard and the crowd flees.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes on the campus. Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who said he witnessed the incident, told Fox News that people "hit the deck" and "scattered" after the shot, and said he had spoken with Kirk shortly before the event began. At the White House, some staff reacted with visible shock when news of the shooting reached them.
Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and the founder of Turning Point USA, built a national profile organizing student-focused events and rallying support for conservative causes and figures, including former President Trump. In his Truth Social post announcing Kirk's death, Trump called him "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk" and said no one "understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie."
The shooting drew immediate condemnation across the political spectrum and prompted social media pleas for law enforcement assistance. Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi posted that federal agents were on the way and urged prayers for Kirk. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible" and said Americans must reject political violence in every form.
Local and federal law enforcement agencies were reported to be responding to the scene. University officials closed parts of the campus while authorities investigated and tended to the injured; details about any arrests, the shooter’s identity and motive had not been released by law enforcement at the time of reporting.
The shooting comes amid a heightened national debate over political rhetoric and campus safety. Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, has been a frequent organizer of on-campus events that draw both supporters and opponents, and political rallies have at times been flashpoints for clashes. Authorities said the investigation was ongoing and asked anyone with information or footage of the incident to come forward.