Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead at a Utah college event. President Trump confirmed the news of death of “great, and even legendary” Kirk. In his address, Trump assured action against those perpetrating political violence.
Charles James Kirk (October 14, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded the conservative organization Turning Point USA in 2012 and was its executive director. He was the chief executive officer of Turning Point Action and a member of the Council for National Policy.
What happened?
Kirk was on a speaking tour, and his stop at UVU was the first of at least 15 scheduled events at universities around the country as part of his “American Comeback Tour”.
Six officers were working the event and there were more than 3,000 people in attendance, according to Jeff Long, chief of the UVU police.
Kirk also had a private security team with him.
Before the shooting, he was seated at his “Prove Me Wrong” debating table, taking questions from an audience outdoors.
Where did the shooting happen?
The shooting took place in the UVU courtyard, about 64km (40 miles) south of Salt Lake City.
A spokeswoman for the university said Kirk was shot from the roof of the school’s Losee Center, a campus building 100-200 yards (roughly 90-180 metres) from the event area.
It was not clear whether the shot was fired from a rooftop or an open window.
Founded in 1941 as a vocational school for war production training, UVU enrolled more than 46,800 students in 2023.
