{"id":416305,"date":"2025-09-11T17:10:23","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/416305\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T17:10:23","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T17:10:23","slug":"who-was-charlie-kirk-what-we-know-about-the-shooting-and-the-suspect-donald-trump-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/416305\/","title":{"rendered":"Who was Charlie Kirk? What we know about the shooting and the suspect | Donald Trump News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist in the United States and staunch ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead<\/a> at an event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Video of the incident circulating on social media showed Kirk speaking to a large outdoor crowd when a loud crack, a gunshot, rang out.<\/p>\n

Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n

Kirk briefly clutched his neck before collapsing from his chair, sending attendees fleeing. He was 31 years old.<\/p>\n

The suspected shooter remains at large but is thought to be college-aged, authorities said on Thursday.<\/p>\n

A bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the shooting was found in nearby woods. The rifle and three unfired rounds of ammunition inside it were engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the investigation and an internal law enforcement bulletin.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a dark day for our state. It\u2019s a tragic day for our nation,\u201d Utah Governor Spencer Cox said after the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to be very clear that this is a political assassination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here is what we know:<\/p>\n

What happened?<\/p>\n

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 \u201cAmerican Comeback Tour\u201d.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Kirk also had a private security team with him.<\/p>\n

Before the shooting, he was seated at his \u201cProve Me Wrong\u201d debating table, taking questions from an audience outdoors.<\/p>\n

Videos<\/a> show that Kirk was going back and forth with a student about mass shootings and transgender people when he was shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?\u201d Kirk was asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cToo many,\u201d Kirk responded as the crowd clapped.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?\u201d To which Kirk replied, \u201cCounting or not counting gang violence?\u201d<\/p>\n

Seconds later, Kirk could be seen struck in the neck as he fell from his chair.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe scene after US right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was shot at a Utah Valley University event in Orem on September 10, 2025 [Trent Nelson\/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters]<\/p>\n

According to reports, Kirk was shot about 20 minutes after he began speaking at approximately 12:10pm (18:10 GMT).<\/p>\n

Beau Mason, the head of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said one shot was fired.<\/p>\n

In footage from the event, Kirk can be seen moving his hand towards his neck as he falls from his chair, sending the attendees running. In another clip, blood can be seen gushing from his neck immediately after he was shot.<\/p>\n

No one else was shot during the event.<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s wife and children were present during the incident.<\/p>\n

\"CofounderCharlie Kirk at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, the US, in July 2024 [Josh Rushing\/Al Jazeera]Where did the shooting happen?<\/p>\n

The shooting took place in the UVU courtyard, about 64km (40 miles) south of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

A spokeswoman for the university said Kirk was shot from the roof of the school\u2019s Losee Center, a campus building 100-200 yards (roughly 90-180 metres) from the event area.<\/p>\n

It was not clear whether the shot was fired from a rooftop or an open window.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1941 as a vocational school for war production training, UVU enrolled more than 46,800 students in 2023.<\/p>\n

\"INTERACTIVE<\/p>\n

Who was Charlie Kirk?<\/p>\n

Kirk was one of the most prominent conservative activists and media personalities in the US, and a trusted ally of President Trump.<\/p>\n

He cofounded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit conservative advocacy group, when he was just 18.<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s group grew into the country\u2019s largest conservative youth movement, and over the years, he became a central player in a network of pro-Trump influencers, often described as the face of the \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d movement.<\/p>\n

Trump often credited Kirk with bringing many young voters and voters of colour over to his side during the 2024 presidential campaign.<\/p>\n

He was also a sharp critic of mainstream media and threw himself into culture-war battles over race, gender and immigration.<\/p>\n

His provocative style won him a loyal support base but also fierce opposition.<\/p>\n

\"ThroughCofounder and president of Turning Point, Charlie Kirk, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference [File: Kevin Lamarque\/Reuters]<\/p>\n

Kirk became a close friend of the president\u2019s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, and the two travelled together to Greenland in January. He also emerged as an early supporter of Vice President JD Vance as Trump was deciding whether the senator would be his running mate.<\/p>\n

Kirk had 5.5 million followers on the platform X and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a podcast and radio programme that reached more than 500,000 listeners each month. He made regular appearances on Fox News, including a recent guest cohosting slot on Fox & Friends.<\/p>\n

According to a report by The New York Times, Kirk never pursued a role within the administration. His aim was to reshape the Republican Party and, more broadly, US politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to transform the culture,\u201d he told<\/a> The New York Times Magazine in February.<\/p>\n

Kirk also built a fortune through his popular podcast, frequent speaking engagements and books, including his 2020 bestseller, The MAGA Doctrine.<\/p>\n

On social media, he posted constantly, offering a right-wing perspective on a plethora of issues.<\/p>\n

In response to the fatal, unprovoked stabbing of a white woman by a Black man, Kirk posted this on X on Tuesday:<\/p>\n

\n

Will Cain is 100% right.<\/p>\n

We have been propagandized by liars and fakers in the media to believe that America is a vicious, racist country and indiscriminate attacks on black people by whites happen all the time.<\/p>\n

But the numbers tell the truth. Black attacks on white people\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/SHmlxAIhds<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What were some of Kirk\u2019s most controversial positions?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kirk made several controversial statements on issues including gun laws, Black Americans, Gaza and Islam.<\/p>\n

Black Americans<\/p>\n

He had, on some occasions, criticised the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement, and aired his belief that whites are disproportionately attacked by Black people in the US.<\/p>\n

On September 9, the day before he was killed, Kirk appeared on Fox News, accusing US Democrats of pushing a \u201cfalse narrative\u201d that Black Americans are under attack in the US, when in reality he said, white people were being targeted. He was speaking regarding the unprovoked murder of a Ukrainian woman last week by a Black man on a train in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhite individuals are actually more likely to be attacked, especially even per capita, by Black individuals in this country,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Islam<\/p>\n

Kirk once compared Islam\u2019s Prophet Muhammad with the child sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, referring to the prophet\u2019s marriage to Aisha at a young age. In an interview with GB News in May, he also said Islam was \u201cat odds\u201d with Western values. \u201cIslam does not believe in freedom of speech, Islam does not believe in freedom of religion, and Islam does not believe in separation of mosque and state,\u201d Kirk said.<\/p>\n

Gaza<\/p>\n

Kirk was a strong supporter of Israel and backed its war on Gaza. On one occasion, he questioned whether Palestine even exists. In May this year, while debating a pro-Palestinian student at Cambridge University, Kirk justified Israel\u2019s two years of war on Gaza, saying: \u201cWhen you declare war on Israel, expect a firestorm in reaction.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gun laws<\/p>\n

Kirk was a staunch supporter of the right to own guns in the United States. Speaking at an event in April 2023 at the Salt Lake City campus of Awaken Church in Utah, Kirk said a few gun deaths every year were an acceptable price to pay for the right to own guns.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s worth it 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,\u201d he said. The Second Amendment of the US Constitution grants Americans the right to bear arms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a prudent deal. No one talks about that,\u201d Kirk added. He also said schools should be protected by armed guards to reduce school shootings, rather than by passing anti-gun laws.<\/p>\n

Abortion<\/p>\n

Kirk believed in \u201ctraditional\u201d gender roles for women and was against abortion, even in exceptional circumstances. In a debate hosted by Jubilee Media in September 2024, Kirk said that in a hypothetical scenario, he would not allow a 10-year-old daughter who was pregnant from rape, to have an abortion.<\/p>\n

What do we know about the shooter?<\/p>\n

While a bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the shooting was found on Thursday in nearby woodland, the shooter remains at large.<\/p>\n

Investigators said they found three rounds of unfired ammunition engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology inside the rifle, according to a Thursday report by the Wall Street Journal, which quoted a person familiar with the investigation and an internal law enforcement bulletin.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, there was initial confusion about whether a suspect had been taken into custody in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.<\/p>\n

A \u201cperson of interest\u201d was reported to be in custody on Wednesday evening, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced.<\/p>\n

Later, Utah police said two people had been considered suspects, but they were released after officials found they had no links to the shooting.<\/p>\n

Following new information on Thursday, Mason told a press conference that police were hunting a specific individual whose movements investigators have been able to track.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to track the movements of the shooter starting at 11:52 am, this subject arrived on campus shortly away from campus,\u201d Mason said. \u201cWe have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof, to a shooting location.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled, off of the campus and into a neighbourhood.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mason said investigators had \u201cgood\u201d video footage of the individual. \u201cThat individual appears to be of college age,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Later on Thursday, the FBI released photos of a \u201cperson of interest\u2019 in the shooting, but did not say if the image, showing a man in a black, long-sleeved shirt, hat and sunglasses, was of the suspected shooter.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the latest on the ground?<\/p>\n

Currently, the campus is closed, according to the university, and it will remain closed until September 14.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of Utah Valley University, we are shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Charlie Kirk, a guest to our campus. Our hearts go out to his family,\u201d UVU said.<\/p>\n

UVU said while an investigation is ongoing, there is no continuing threat to the campus.<\/p>\n

\n

UVU campuses will be closed from September 11-14.<\/p>\n

All classes (in-person or virtual), campus events, and administrative operations will be suspended during this time. Please plan accordingly and make any necessary adjustments to your schedules. https:\/\/t.co\/uN7H8s0EFE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UVU (@UVU) September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How has Trump responded?<\/p>\n

The US president described the killing as a \u201cdark, dark, moment for America\u201d. He ordered all American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening, in honour of Kirk.<\/p>\n

Trump also recorded a video from the White House that was both an ode to Kirk and an angry criticism of liberals, whose rhetoric he blamed for Kirk\u2019s assassination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah,\u201d Trump said. \u201cCharlie inspired millions, and tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror. Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to open debate and the country he loved so much, the United States of America.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trump said it was \u201clong past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonising those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most despicable way possible\u201d.<\/p>\n

He accused the \u201cradical left\u201d of comparing \u201cwonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world\u2019s worst mass murderers and criminals\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we are seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

President Trump shares a message on the assassination of Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n

\u201cI ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived & died. The values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law & the patriotic devotion & love of God.\u201d pic.twitter.com\/3fBSgs4Zxa<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

How have others responded?<\/p>\n

Democrats and Republicans quickly denounced the shooting<\/a> on social media and in Congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no place\u201d for this violence, former US President Joe Biden said on X.<\/p>\n

\n

There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk\u2019s family and loved ones.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Former Vice President Kamala Harris in a post on X, wrote: \u201cI condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family.<\/p>\n

Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Vice President JD Vance reacted:<\/p>\n

\n

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord. pic.twitter.com\/lYLEjv40bN<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking to US troops on Wednesday, hailed Kirk as a \u201cdear friend\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

A prayer for Charlie Kirk and those who serve. pic.twitter.com\/wWkEEvheRm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

First Lady Melania Trump also paid tribute to Kirk.<\/p>\n

\n

Charlie\u2019s children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father\u2019s voice should have echoed. <\/p>\n

Charlie Kirk\u2019s life should serve as a symbolic reminder that compassionate awareness elevates family, love, and\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a Fox News interview that the shooter should face the death penalty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very angry,\u201d DeSantis said.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, they\u2019ve got to catch this guy. We need a very quick death penalty prosecution. I don\u2019t want to see this take forever. We need justice for this,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\n

I joined Jesse Watters to reflect on the legacy of Charlie Kirk and to express my anger about his assassination. pic.twitter.com\/hn9VAZNImm<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) September 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had invited Kirk to Israel just two weeks earlier, describing the 31-year-old as a \u201clion-hearted friend of Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization. I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place.
We lost an\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Benjamin Netanyahu \u2013 \u05d1\u05e0\u05d9\u05de\u05d9\u05df \u05e0\u05ea\u05e0\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5 (@netanyahu) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Kirill Dmitriev, Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s investment envoy, posted on Telegram: \u201cThere was an attack on Charlie Kirk, one of the most ardent conservative leaders known for his positive statements about Russia and his calls for dialogue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barack Obama, former US president, said \u201cdespicable violence has no place in our democracy\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

We don\u2019t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie\u2019s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Former US President Bill Clinton said on X he was \u201csaddened and angered\u201d by the killing.<\/p>\n

\n

I\u2019m saddened and angered by Charlie Kirk\u2019s murder. And I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully. Hillary and I are keeping Erika, their two young children, and their family in our prayers.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Bernie Sanders, former US presidential candidate and Vermont senator, said on X that \u201cpolitical violence has no place\u201d in America.<\/p>\n

\n

Political violence has no place in this country. We must condemn this horrifying attack.<\/p>\n

My thoughts are with Charlie Kirk and his family.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

George Bush, former US president, also condemned the killing in a post on X, saying: \u201cViolence and vitriol must be purged from the public square.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Statement by President George W. Bush:<\/p>\n

“Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views. It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct. Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Turning Point also posted on X:<\/p>\n

\n

pic.twitter.com\/JbWK9BNnbR<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned what he called \u201cpolitical violence\u201d and commiserated with Kirk\u2019s family in a post on X.<\/p>\n

\n

My thoughts this evening are with the loved ones of Charlie Kirk.<\/p>\n

It is heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband.<\/p>\n

We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear \u2013 there can be no justification for political violence.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

American author Stephen King said Kirk\u2019s assassination was \u201canother example of American gun violence\u201d.<\/p>\n

\n

The motivation of the man who shot Charlie Kirk isn’t clear (although he’s probably mentally unstable\u2013duh). What is clear is it was another example of American gun violence.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazillian president Jair Bolsonaro, similarly denounced Kirk\u2019s assassination in a series of X posts.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had the honor of accompanying him in his work and know the greatness of his mission. Another conservative victim of hate and intolerance,\u201d Bolsonaro wrote.<\/p>\n

Dean Withers, an American livestreamer and liberal political commentator, who was often seen on the opposite end of Kirk during debates on political YouTube channels, said in a TikTok video: \u201cI\u2019m sad, distraught. In fact, I just cried in front of my livestream in front of 250,000 people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c[Gun violence] is always disgusting, always vile and always abhorrent,\u201d he added. \u201cMy thoughts and prayers go out to Charlie Kirk\u2019s friends, family, children, loved ones, as well as every single person in attendance at his event today in Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n