Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder, dead at 31 after Utah campus shooting

Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, is dead after being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University Wednesday.

President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk's death in a post on Truth Social.

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us," Trump wrote. "Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"

DEVELOPING STORY: CHARLIE KIRK SHOT AT UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY EVENT

Kirk died after he was taken to a hospital in critical condition after being shot Wednesday at a Utah event, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

Video posted from the event appeared to show Kirk being shot as he spoke to the crowd from under a white pop-up tent. After the shot, the crowd dispersed, with onlookers shouting, "Run, run, run!"

Treanor said the shooting happened at about 12:20 p.m.

The suspect is not in custody, Utah Valley University said in a statement. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, UVU spokesperson Ellen Treanor said: "A suspect was in custody initially, but to the best of my knowledge, that individual has been released. Our campus police are currently investigating in conjunction with the Orem police." Fox News Digital has reached out to Orem Police Department for comment.

Campus police on Wednesday afternoon asked students to call a hotline and be escorted off.

"Police will come and escort you out of the building," the university wrote in an X statement. "Public transportation is available at Orem Station by pedestrian bridge."

In a statement, UVU said that police are escorting students off campus: "UVU campus is closed. Classes cancelled. Those on campus, secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus. Police are currently going building to building escorting people off campus. Roads to campus are currently closed."

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"We had a speaker, Charlie Kirk, who was invited by a student group, Turning Point USA, who was speaking on campus today at noon," the statement said.

"At about 12:20 shots were fired from a building about 200 yards from the speaker. To the best of our knowledge, the individual was hit and was taken away immediately by his security personnel," Treanor said previously. Treanor said the campus is closed for the day.

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In a campus-wide alert, Utah Valley University said that: "A single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker. Police are investigating now."

Utah Valley University noted that the campus is "closed until further notice."

"Ongoing police investigation. If you are still on campus, follow police directions."

Kirk had been scheduled to appear at Utah Valley University on Wednesday as part of his American Comeback Tour, with another stop at Utah State University later this month. His appearances have drawn protests and petitions from student groups critical of his views.

In a since-deleted post on Kirk's social media just hours before the attack, the conservative firebrand wrote: "WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour."

The fall 2025 leg of the tour began at the Orem, Utah university and is "a nationwide campus tour aimed at equipping students with the tools to push back against leftwing indoctrination in academia and reclaim their right to free speech." 

Trump wrote on social media: "We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!"

In a statement on X, Vice President J.D. Vance wrote: "Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father."

Utah Senator Mike Lee posted to X shortly after news of the shooting broke, writing, "I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely. Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there."

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth wrote: "Prayers for Charlie Kirk. An incredible Christian, American, and human being. May the healing hand of Jesus Christ be upon him."

In a statement, the U.S. Secret Service expressed their "deepest sympathies" to the Kirk family.

"The safety and security of our protectees is the U.S. Secret Service's top priority. President Trump receives the highest levels of U.S. Secret Service protection and the agency adjusts our protective posture as needed to mitigate evolving threats," they said. "Out of concern for operational security, we cannot discuss the means and methods used for our protective operations."

Kirk married former Miss Arizona USA Erika Frantzve in May 2021. They have two children, a 3-year-old daughter and a 1-year-old son.

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He is the author of four books including, most recently, "The MAGA Doctrine: The Only Ideas that Will Win the Future." Kirk is the host of The Charlie Kirk Show podcast, which was downloaded over 120 million times in the last 12 months and regularly ranks among the top 10 shows on Apple Podcasts charts.