British political figures including former prime minister Boris Johnson and current Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid public tribute Wednesday after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at a rally at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck by a single bullet on the university campus on Sept. 10 as he began speaking, university officials said. He was rushed to hospital and later died. Local and federal authorities said the suspect remained at large and a major manhunt involving the FBI and Utah law enforcement was under way.
A Utah Valley University spokesperson, Scott Trotter, said a shot rang out at 12:20 p.m. in the quad near the food court as Kirk began his planned rally. University officials later said the shot appeared to have been fired from the top of the Losee Center, roughly 200 feet away. An elderly man initially taken into custody was later determined not to be the shooter, police said.
British leaders expressed shock and condemned political violence. Johnson wrote on X that Kirk's killing was "a tragedy, and a sign of the utter desperation and cowardice of those who could not defeat him in argument," and called him "a shining new martyr to free speech." Starmer, also on X, said his thoughts were with Kirk's loved ones and added, "We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear — there can be no justification for political violence."
Britain's foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, called the killing "deeply shocking" and said "political violence has no place in our societies." Other British figures including Reform leader Nigel Farage, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former prime minister Liz Truss also issued condolences and condemned the attack.
In the United States, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Kirk was "the Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk" and expressed sympathy to Kirk's family. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he had spoken with Trump and that state and federal authorities would work to bring the person responsible to justice. "Abby and I are heartbroken. We are praying for Charlie's wife, daughter, and son," Cox wrote on X.
Kirk, described by several commentators as a prominent conservative and a vocal supporter of former President Trump, leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son, according to statements from British and U.S. figures. The couple celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.
Witnesses described chaos after the shot was fired. One attendee told media that Kirk collapsed immediately and that those nearby rushed to his aid. University officials announced the campus was closed for the remainder of the day as police investigated.
Authorities provided limited details about the suspect and motive. Police said the investigation was ongoing, and urged anyone with information to contact law enforcement. The FBI confirmed it was assisting local authorities in the probe.
The shooting prompted calls from British and U.S. leaders for calm and for the protection of open political debate. Officials emphasized that investigations into the circumstances and responsibility for the shooting were continuing, and that no further information about motive had been made public.
As inquiries proceed, both U.S. and British politicians framed the killing as an assault on free and open political discourse while urging that legal processes and investigations determine the facts. The search for the shooter continued through the evening as authorities worked to establish a timeline and gather evidence from the scene.