Content warning: This story refers to a viral, violent video of a shooting. We will not link directly to the footage.
This story was first published on September 10.
Far-right political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead on September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University. Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was 31.
The shooting occurred as Kirk was speaking in front of a crowd at the Utah university, a kickoff event for Turning Point’s “American Comeback” national tour that had received nearly 1,000 petition signatures calling for it to be canceled, reports the Associated Press. According to CNN, Kirk was asked about the statistics of transgender people linked to mass shootings, an active — and misleading — talking point on the right; Kirk was answering the question when he was fatally shot.
A video circulated on social media and verified by the Associated Press shows Kirk being shot while mid answer. Officials confirmed soon after that Kirk had been shot, and nearly two hours later, President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Kirk had died. Overnight, several right-wing figures called for violence and “war” against the left as vengeance for Kirk’s death, reported WIRED.
As of 10:45 AM ET on September 11, the shooter has still not been identified or found, and the investigation is still underway, according to the New York Times. The shooter’s motives and political affiliation are similarly unknown. Utah Valley University closed its campus, cancelled classes, and instructed students to “secure in place” until they can safely be escorted off campus as the investigation continues.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
A Trump ally, Kirk was popular among the far-right, known for rallying young people around conservative ideas and around the President. Kirk often travelled to college campuses, where he would debate with students on popular right-wing talking points. He is often credited with rallying young conservatives in a new wave of political activism. During these appearances, Kirk frequently spoke out against abortion and reproductive rights, espoused anti-trans ideology, spread COVID-19 misinformation, among other controversial and, often, prejudiced opinions. Kirk was gifted at digital attention-grabbing throughout his career as a right-wing commentator; in 2024, prior to another “debate” campus tour, his appearance on the video platform Jubilee debating young liberals went viral.
Kirk has been outspoken against gun control legislation, frequently defending access to guns during debates and speaking engagements. In a Turning Point speech last year, Kirk called shooting deaths as a result of gun access the “cost to liberty,” comparing gun deaths to the risk of driving and auto accidents. He made similar comments in 2023, calling gun deaths “worth” it in exchange for Second Amendment rights shortly after a mass shooting killed three children and three adults at the Christian Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee. Around the same time that Kirk was shot, a shooting at a Colorado school was also unfolding. According to the Denver Post, two teens were injured, with one still in critical condition, and the teenage shooter dead after turning the gun on himself, as of the morning after the shooting.