Screenshot of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, just moments before he was shot by an assailant at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
Right-Wing Crusader Charlie Kirk Assassinated During Utah Event
Kirk, the founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, was widely known for his often inflammatory political rhetoric and his fierce loyalty to President Donald Trump.
[Warning: This post includes graphic footage that some may find disturbing.]
Update (7:00 pm): This article has been updated to include reporting that Charlie Kirk has been confirmed dead and there is a person of interest in custody.
The far-right political leader Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday afternoon during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social late Wednesday afternoon that Kirk, a top political ally and commentator who founded the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, had died after he was shot in the neck by a gunman.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," the president wrote on Truth Social.
The university initially reported that the shooter had been taken into custody. But according to the New York Times, "officials determined that the person they had detained—who can be seen in videos posted online—was not the gunman."
Utah Valley University spokesperson Ellen Treanor confirmed that no one had been arrested and said the university police, Orem Police, Utah Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the fatal shooting. FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox later announced that a "person of interest" is in custody and being interviewed by authorities.
A video circulating on social media shows the moment of the attack, which occurred during a question-and-answer session with students.
The Guardian reported that Kirk had been discussing gun violence just before he was shot:
Videos circulating on social media showed an attender asking Kirk: "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?" In response, Kirk says: "Too many," as the crowd clapped.
In a follow-up question, the attender asks: "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?" Kirk replies: "Counting or not counting gang violence?" Seconds later, Kirk could be seen struck in the neck as he falls back in his chair.
Close-ups of the shooting showed the bullet entering Kirk's neck, and many who witnessed the bloody footage online expressed disbelief that Kirk would be able to survive the attack.
While no motive has yet been made public, Kirk—the founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA—is widely known for his often inflammatory political rhetoric and his fierce loyalty to Trump.
In recent weeks, he has stoked controversy by echoing Trump's persistent claims that the Jeffrey Epstein files are a "hoax" and by championing the president's militarized crackdowns of US cities.
"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump wrote. "He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."
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[Warning: This post includes graphic footage that some may find disturbing.]
Update (7:00 pm): This article has been updated to include reporting that Charlie Kirk has been confirmed dead and there is a person of interest in custody.
The far-right political leader Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday afternoon during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social late Wednesday afternoon that Kirk, a top political ally and commentator who founded the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, had died after he was shot in the neck by a gunman.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," the president wrote on Truth Social.
The university initially reported that the shooter had been taken into custody. But according to the New York Times, "officials determined that the person they had detained—who can be seen in videos posted online—was not the gunman."
Utah Valley University spokesperson Ellen Treanor confirmed that no one had been arrested and said the university police, Orem Police, Utah Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the fatal shooting. FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox later announced that a "person of interest" is in custody and being interviewed by authorities.
A video circulating on social media shows the moment of the attack, which occurred during a question-and-answer session with students.
The Guardian reported that Kirk had been discussing gun violence just before he was shot:
Videos circulating on social media showed an attender asking Kirk: "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?" In response, Kirk says: "Too many," as the crowd clapped.
In a follow-up question, the attender asks: "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?" Kirk replies: "Counting or not counting gang violence?" Seconds later, Kirk could be seen struck in the neck as he falls back in his chair.
Close-ups of the shooting showed the bullet entering Kirk's neck, and many who witnessed the bloody footage online expressed disbelief that Kirk would be able to survive the attack.
While no motive has yet been made public, Kirk—the founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA—is widely known for his often inflammatory political rhetoric and his fierce loyalty to Trump.
In recent weeks, he has stoked controversy by echoing Trump's persistent claims that the Jeffrey Epstein files are a "hoax" and by championing the president's militarized crackdowns of US cities.
"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump wrote. "He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."
- Progressives—Who Reviled Charlie Kirk's Politics—Repudiate His Murder | Common Dreams ›
- Inflaming Tensions, Trump Threatens Political Left With Retribution Over Killing of Charlie Kirk | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | The Killing of Charlie Kirk: Violent Speech and a Violent End | Common Dreams ›
- State Dept Official Signals Review of Foreigners 'Praising, Rationalizing, or Making Light of' Kirk Killing | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | On Charlie Kirk, Public Grieving, and Violence | Common Dreams ›
- Charlie Kirk Assassination Left Reaction | Common Dreams ›
- WSJ, Media Outlets Slammed for Spreading Feds' False Claim That Kirk Shooter Expressed 'Transgender Ideology' | Common Dreams ›
- Miller Says He and Trump Will Use Law Enforcement to 'Dismantle' the Left After Kirk Shooting | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | Responding to Charlie Kirk's Killing With the Wisdom of Our Inner 3 Year Old | Common Dreams ›
- Stephen Miller Claims Simply Calling Trump Authoritarian 'Incites Violence and Terrorism' | Common Dreams ›
[Warning: This post includes graphic footage that some may find disturbing.]
Update (7:00 pm): This article has been updated to include reporting that Charlie Kirk has been confirmed dead and there is a person of interest in custody.
The far-right political leader Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Wednesday afternoon during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social late Wednesday afternoon that Kirk, a top political ally and commentator who founded the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA, had died after he was shot in the neck by a gunman.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," the president wrote on Truth Social.
The university initially reported that the shooter had been taken into custody. But according to the New York Times, "officials determined that the person they had detained—who can be seen in videos posted online—was not the gunman."
Utah Valley University spokesperson Ellen Treanor confirmed that no one had been arrested and said the university police, Orem Police, Utah Department of Public Safety, and Federal Bureau of Investigation are investigating the fatal shooting. FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox later announced that a "person of interest" is in custody and being interviewed by authorities.
A video circulating on social media shows the moment of the attack, which occurred during a question-and-answer session with students.
The Guardian reported that Kirk had been discussing gun violence just before he was shot:
Videos circulating on social media showed an attender asking Kirk: "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?" In response, Kirk says: "Too many," as the crowd clapped.
In a follow-up question, the attender asks: "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?" Kirk replies: "Counting or not counting gang violence?" Seconds later, Kirk could be seen struck in the neck as he falls back in his chair.
Close-ups of the shooting showed the bullet entering Kirk's neck, and many who witnessed the bloody footage online expressed disbelief that Kirk would be able to survive the attack.
While no motive has yet been made public, Kirk—the founder of the right-wing youth group Turning Point USA—is widely known for his often inflammatory political rhetoric and his fierce loyalty to Trump.
In recent weeks, he has stoked controversy by echoing Trump's persistent claims that the Jeffrey Epstein files are a "hoax" and by championing the president's militarized crackdowns of US cities.
"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump wrote. "He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."
- Progressives—Who Reviled Charlie Kirk's Politics—Repudiate His Murder | Common Dreams ›
- Inflaming Tensions, Trump Threatens Political Left With Retribution Over Killing of Charlie Kirk | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | The Killing of Charlie Kirk: Violent Speech and a Violent End | Common Dreams ›
- State Dept Official Signals Review of Foreigners 'Praising, Rationalizing, or Making Light of' Kirk Killing | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | On Charlie Kirk, Public Grieving, and Violence | Common Dreams ›
- Charlie Kirk Assassination Left Reaction | Common Dreams ›
- WSJ, Media Outlets Slammed for Spreading Feds' False Claim That Kirk Shooter Expressed 'Transgender Ideology' | Common Dreams ›
- Miller Says He and Trump Will Use Law Enforcement to 'Dismantle' the Left After Kirk Shooting | Common Dreams ›
- Opinion | Responding to Charlie Kirk's Killing With the Wisdom of Our Inner 3 Year Old | Common Dreams ›
- Stephen Miller Claims Simply Calling Trump Authoritarian 'Incites Violence and Terrorism' | Common Dreams ›