Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday at an event on the Utah Valley University campus, officials said, and the person who fired the shot remains at large.
Federal, state and local investigators said Kirk, 31, was struck by a single bullet fired from a rooftop just before noon. The shooter then slipped away amid screams and students fleeing the campus, authorities said, and law enforcement is treating the site as multiple active crime scenes as the search continues.
Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City field office, said the agency believes the shooter targeted Kirk at the event. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said investigators tracked the suspect’s movements after he jumped from a building, moved through stairwells and ultimately fled the campus into a nearby neighborhood. Mason said the suspect “appears to be of college age” and that he blended in with students on campus.
Authorities said they recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle in a wooded area where the shooter fled and have secured nearby woods and neighborhoods as they expand the search. Two people were detained on Wednesday but were released after investigators determined they were not connected to the shooting.
Officials said they have video footage of the suspected shooter and asked the public to share any images or video that may help identify the person, but they did not confirm whether the footage includes clear images of the suspect’s face. A news conference featuring the Utah Department of Public Safety commissioner and the FBI special agent in charge was scheduled for 9 a.m. Eastern Time on the Utah Valley University campus and was to be streamed on the department’s Instagram page.
The slaying drew immediate condemnation from across the political spectrum and renewed attention to rising concerns about political violence in the United States. Utah’s governor called the killing a political assassination. In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday, President Donald Trump described Kirk as “a martyr for truth and freedom” and condemned what he called the “demonizing” of political opponents, while blaming rhetoric from the “radical left” for the killing.
Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012, had become a leading figure in the populist strain of the Republican Party, building an organization aimed at recruiting and mobilizing young conservatives on college campuses. Known for provocative statements on gender, race and politics, he frequently campaigned alongside and publicly supported President Trump.
Investigators said the suspected shooter arrived on campus shortly before the shooting and fled after the gunfire. They emphasized the probe involved multiple law enforcement agencies working several active crime scenes. Officials cautioned that a motive had not been established and that the investigation remains ongoing.
Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, planned to visit Kirk’s family Thursday in Salt Lake City, according to a person familiar with the plans who was not authorized to speak publicly. The visit was expected to replace a previously planned trip to New York.
The killing of Kirk comes amid a broader debate in Washington and on campuses nationwide about how to address political polarization and the risk that grievances may erupt into violence. Lawmakers and law enforcement officials have repeatedly called for improved threat assessment and prevention efforts, but concrete policy responses have remained limited even as violent incidents across the political spectrum have raised alarm.
Authorities urged anyone with information or footage of the event to contact the FBI or local law enforcement as the search for the shooter continued. No arrests have been reported as of the latest updates, and officials gave no timeline for when the suspect might be found.