Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the prominent founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on September 10 during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where he was allegedly addressing Black-on-Black crime, a frequent topic of his commentary.
A suspect has not been identified, and state authorities said Wednesday evening a “manhunt” for the shooter is still in progress. Two people who were taken into custody earlier were not tied to the shooting and were later released.
The attack occurred around 12:20 p.m. local time, with a single shot fired from approximately 200 yards away. An eyewitness said the alleged shooter yelled, “I’d do it again.” Initial reports suggested the suspect, a white male, was in custody, but officials have clarified that the shooter remains at larg
The 31-year-old launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to engage. Vice President JD Vance praised Turning Point USA’s role in organizing pro-Trump events last year and credited Kirk with some of the Trump administration’s personnel decisions.
While politicians of both parties largely coalesced to mourn Kirk after he was shot and killed today, Trump blamed the “radical left” for his death.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said in a video message tonight. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Trump called for “all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree” — but he then called out “radical-left political violence,” without paying tribute to any Democratic politicians who have been targeted.
Officials have not announced a motive for Kirk’s killing; Utah’s governor called it “a political assassination.”