Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University during an outdoor appearance, and an Army marksman who reviewed video of the attack said the setting provided an easy long-range shot for an assailant.
UVU Police Chief Jeff Long said six officers were assigned to the event, which was described as free and first-come, first-served, and that plainclothes officers also were in the crowd. Long estimated more than 3,000 people were in the UVU Fountain Courtyard when a single gunshot struck Kirk in the neck as he answered a question; he was driven from the scene by his security team and later pronounced dead.
U.S. Army Sergeant Nicholas Ranstad, who holds the record for the longest American kill in Afghanistan and who described himself as a veteran marksman, told the New York Post that video shows the gunman likely fired from high ground across the courtyard — a vantage point he called a "fishbowl" and a "buffet" for a shooter. Ranstad said the apparent position was on the roof of the Losee Center Building opposite where Kirk sat under a pop-up tent.
"The security was super light, no crime at that school. So I guess the threat was low apparently," Ranstad told the Post. "When you have events like that, you look at the security, if you push 250, 300 yards, it’s an easy shot. Not to mention out in the open, wind is low out in the country."
Ranstad estimated the fatal shot came from more than 200 yards away and said the crack of the round suggested a high-powered rifle rather than a common AR-style weapon; he said it could have been fired from a .308 bolt-action rifle or a firearm chambered in 7.62x39 mm. He described the strike as a single, planned shot and urged investigators to examine local range activity for anyone who may have practiced the distance and type of shot required.
Police took two people into custody for questioning at the scene and later released both after interviews, Long said. Authorities have not publicly identified any suspects, and the suspected shooter remained at large on Thursday morning, according to law enforcement statements.
Kirk was the host of "The American Comeback Tour" and a prominent voice in conservative politics. President Donald Trump released a statement calling Kirk "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk," and in a later video described the killing as an "assassination" and Kirk as a "martyr for truth and freedom." Trump said he was "filled with grief and anger" and characterized the shooting as a dark moment for the country.
Campus video and still photographs circulated online in the aftermath, showing Kirk speaking and a figure on a nearby rooftop shortly before the gunshot. Authorities and witnesses described chaos as thousands in the courtyard fled; university police and local officers cordoned off parts of the campus as they collected evidence.
Investigators have not publicly detailed the weapon or the number of shots fired beyond accounts saying the fatal wound appeared to result from a single bullet. Officials have appealed to anyone with video or information to contact investigators. Ranstad and other analysts who reviewed available footage emphasized that open-air, multi-level campus settings can expose public figures to shots from elevated positions if security planning does not include roof and standoff assessments.
The shooting prompted immediate responses from conservative leaders and intensified scrutiny of event security at college campuses and other public gatherings. Police said their investigation is ongoing and declined to comment on certain tactical details while they pursue leads and review surveillance and bystander footage.