{"id":417150,"date":"2025-09-12T00:47:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T00:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/417150\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T00:47:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T00:47:18","slug":"turning-point-usa-co-founder-charlie-kirk-killed-in-a-shooting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/417150\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk killed in a shooting"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlie Kirk<\/a>, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot<\/a> at an event at a Utah college.<\/p>\n

Kirk was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump. He led an effort<\/a> to remake the GOP\u2019s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to vote.<\/p>\n

His killing Wednesday is the latest example of political violence<\/a> in the U.S. spanning a range of political ideologies<\/a> and affecting both major political parties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a \u201cpolitical assassination.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vice President JD Vance flew with Kirk\u2019s casket from Salt Lake City to Kirk\u2019s home state of Arizona on Air Force Two on Thursday. Trump said he plans to attend Kirk\u2019s funeral. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what to know about Kirk\u2019s shooting:<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Allison<\/p>\n

Allison Hemingway-Witty cries after Charlie Kirk is shot during Turning Point\u2019s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley\/The Deseret News via AP)<\/p>\n

Allison Hemingway-Witty cries after Charlie Kirk is shot during Turning Point\u2019s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley\/The Deseret News via AP)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

One gunshot fired from a roof<\/p>\n

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University when authorities said the shooter fired from a distant rooftop.<\/p>\n

Videos posted to social media<\/a> show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent. A single shot rings out and Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck.<\/p>\n

Utah Valley is the state\u2019s largest public university with an enrollment of 47,000. It\u2019s about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the state capital of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Law<\/p>\n

Law enforcement officials prepare to sweep a building at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo\/Tyler Tate)<\/p>\n

Law enforcement officials prepare to sweep a building at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo\/Tyler Tate)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

The hunt for Kirk\u2019s killer<\/p>\n

The FBI on Thursday said it was looking for a \u201cperson of interest\u201d in connection with Kirk\u2019s shooting. The agency released two photos<\/a> showing a person wearing a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeve black shirt.<\/p>\n

So far, investigators believe the shooter jumped from the roof and slipped away in the mayhem after firing the fatal shot. Authorities said the shooter \u201cappears to be of college age\u201d and \u201cblended in\u201d with the college population.<\/p>\n

A rifle hidden in a towel was recovered in a wooded area near the university campus along what authorities suspect to be the fleeing shooter\u2019s path, according to information circulated among law enforcement and shared with The Associated Press. There was a spent cartridge in the chamber and three other rounds loaded in the magazine.<\/p>\n

Law enforcement authorities have received more than 200 tips from the public. State police asked people to continue sending them, adding that \u201cno tip is too small.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two separate persons of interest were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said. <\/p>\n

The university said the campus was immediately evacuated and remained closed. Classes were canceled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police could safely escort them off.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"President<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)<\/p>\n

President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Kirk\u2019s rise from Trump aide to major conservative influencer<\/p>\n

Trump said he plans to speak with Kirk\u2019s family Thursday afternoon and that he would posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom<\/a> to Kirk at a later date.<\/p>\n

Kirk was 18 years old when he co-founded Turning Point<\/a> in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a tea party<\/a> activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses.<\/p>\n

Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate\u2019s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.<\/p>\n

The Trump connection helped fuel Turning Point\u2019s rise to prominence<\/a>. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the president.<\/p>\n

Contributions to the group doubled and then tripled \u2014 eventually climbing to $79.2 million in 2022, according to an analysis of publicly available tax filings. The group states that it now has a presence on nearly 4,000 high school and college campuses, operating as a conservative lifestyle brand that promotes hundreds of online influencers.<\/p>\n

Kirk was known for provocative statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. If I see a Black pilot, I\u2019m going to be like, \u2018Boy, I hope he\u2019s qualified,\u2019\u201d Kirk said during a 2024 podcast with fellow right-wing activist Jack Posobiec.<\/p>\n

Kirk staunchly opposed the enactment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday<\/a>. He said the move to elevate the date was motivated by \u201canti-American\u201d sentiment that promoted \u201ca neo-segregationist view\u201d that he claimed sought to supplant Independence Day.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A well-wisher is overcome after dropping off flowers, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the organization, at a Utah college. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/p>\n

A well-wisher is overcome after dropping off flowers, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the organization, at a Utah college. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Politicians unite in condemning the attack<\/p>\n

Republicans and Democrats alike swiftly condemned the attack<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation. The president, who sustained a minor ear injury when he was shot at a campaign event<\/a> last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship.<\/p>\n

He described Kirk on Truth Social as a \u201cgreat guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!\u201d<\/p>\n

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X: \u201cThe attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of an activist. His name is Jack Posobiec, not Posobeic. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":417151,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5311],"tags":[20808,142937,142939,101378,51,78524,32,33,25734,4179,142938,601,21368,285,89616,14617,89614,142940,7143,36768,49,5213,978,659,7141,1732,142259],"class_list":{"0":"post-417150","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-arizona","9":"tag-assassination-of-charlie-kirk","10":"tag-assassinations","11":"tag-az-state-wire","12":"tag-business","13":"tag-charlie-kirk","14":"tag-donald-trump","15":"tag-elections","16":"tag-gavin-newsom","17":"tag-general-news","18":"tag-jack-posobiec","19":"tag-jd-vance","20":"tag-jr","21":"tag-politics","22":"tag-salt-lake-city","23":"tag-shootings","24":"tag-spencer-cox","25":"tag-u-s-federal-bureau-of-investigation","26":"tag-u-s-news","27":"tag-u-s-republican-party","28":"tag-united-states","29":"tag-united-states-government","30":"tag-us","31":"tag-usa","32":"tag-ut-state-wire","33":"tag-utah","34":"tag-william-montgomery"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115188573864422943","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=417150"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/417150\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/417151"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=417150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=417150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=417150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}