Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally to U.S. President Donald Trump, was fatally shot and killed while speaking at a college tour stop at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. The event was part of a tour organized by Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the non-profit organization co-founded by Kirk, called the “American Comeback Tour.”
In footage from the event, Kirk appeared to answer a question from an audience member regarding transgender mass shooters in America. The audience member’s last question was “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kirk then responded, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Seconds later, a single shot was fired and struck Kirk on the left side of his neck near his carotid artery, according to multiple sources.
Kirk was in the central courtyard of the university when he was shot. According to a spokeswoman from the university, one shot was fired from the Losee Center, about 200 yards away. The building houses student resources and services such as tutors and student support. Law enforcement has stated that the gunman had fired from the roof of the building.
Attendees at the event described mass panic throughout the campus after the shot was fired. In a video shared by Reuters, an eyewitness named in the coverage as Danielle said she was close to the platform where Kirk was speaking (about 15 feet away). “It was horrible,” she said. “All I hear is screaming and I see people running and I’m like, ‘it’s not safe to run. It’s not safe to get up’ […] And all I’m saying is, ‘please, God, please, God, please, God,’ because I don’t want to die.”
Kirk had been transported to Timpanogos Regional Hospital in critical condition, where he was pronounced dead later that afternoon. Donald Trump was the first person to publicly announce Kirk’s death at 2:40 p.m. local time via Truth Social stating, “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.” Later, a news conference was held by Utah officials. “This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox during the conference. “I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.”
In immediate response to the shooting, UVU evacuated campus and announced that they will remain closed with classes cancelled until further notice. People on campus were told to stay in place until law enforcement could escort them off campus. All the while armed officers were walking around the neighborhoods surrounding the campus, asking information regarding any individual(s) involved in the shooting.
Media outlets have shown various perspectives while covering the event, with some outlets expressing sympathy for the loss while others are being more critical of Kirk’s philosophies surrounding gun violence. One anchor from MSNBC was critiqued by members of the public for not showing sympathy following the incident. Matthew Dowd, a political analyst and chief campaign strategist for the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign in 2004, speculated on air that the shot could have been celebratory. “[We] don’t know any of the full details of this yet,” Dowd said. “We don’t know if this is a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration or […] so we have no idea about this.” He then went on to declare that “hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions.” The next day, Thursday, Sept. 11, MSNBC confirmed that Dowd was “no longer with the network,” following public apologies from both Dowd and MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler, as reported by AP.
Online, there have been many opinions circulating about Kirk’s death, some critical and others sympathetic to him and his family. California governor Gavin Newsom decried the event on X (formerly Twitter), calling it “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.” He went on to say, “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.” Earlier this year in March, Newsom sat down with Kirk on his podcast, This is Gavin Newsom. Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel asked on Meta’s social media platform Threads, “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?”
In contrast to this sympathetic nature, some notable figures are unearthing Kirk’s earlier statements on gun rights and violence, comparing it to the manner of his death. One quote that has been shared is from a 2023 interview during a TPUSA Faith event in Salt Lake City, Utah. Following a question regarding a recent shooting and the protection of gun rights, Kirk answered, “It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights.” One Instagram user, who will remain anonymous to protect their privacy, said, “Not saying he deserved it, but God’s timing is always right.” Others have compared the reaction of this event to the reaction of the school shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado that happened less than 10 minutes after the shot was taken at Kirk. Comparisons are also being made by some to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Public reactions and demonstrations have started to intensify as well, including on college campuses outside of Utah. The Daily Nebraskan, the student newspaper for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), reported on a masked man sitting in front of the Broyhill Fountain outside of the Union on Thursday, Sept. 11, handing out papers emblazoned with “Charlie deserved it.” Students gathered around him asking questions, with one at some point grabbing his folding tray table and throwing it into the fountain. He was later escorted off campus by law enforcement.
This is still a developing story, and new information is being released sporadically as investigations by law enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for any information that may identify or lead to the arrest of anyone responsible for the shooting, and are urging people to submit that information here or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.
