Charlie Kirk shooting death – what we know so far

Explainer

Charlie Kirk shooting death – what we know so far

 

Turning Point USA executive director has died after being shot during event at Utah Valley University

 

Fran Lawther and Sam Levin

Thu 11 Sep 2025 00.40 BST

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/10/charlie-kirk-shooting-what-we-know

 

Charlie Kirk, a Trump ally and rightwing activist, has been shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Here’s what we know so far:

 

Kirk, 31, died after being shot during a presentation on campus. Donald Trump announced the death in a Truth Social post, writing: “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.”

 

Kirk, the executive director of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was shot at about 12.10pm local time while appearing at an event. In video posts circulating on social media, Kirk can be seen being struck while speaking and sitting beneath a tent. Video footage shows students on campus running away from the sound of a gunshot.

 

As of Wednesday evening, Utah officials said no one was in custody and that a manhunt was ongoing. “This shooting is still an active investigation,” the Utah department of public safety said in a statement, adding it was working with the FBI and local police departments. Investigators are reviewing security camera images of the suspect, who wore dark clothing and possibly fired “a longer distance shot” from a roof.

 

One person detained at the scene, George Zinn, was deemed not to be a suspect but was charged with obstructing justice. A second person taken into custody was released after being interviewed. Neither had ties to the shooting, according to the university.

 

The shooting was “believed to be a targeted attack”, with the shooter firing from the roof of a building into the student courtyard, the university said.

 

Kirk was about 20 minutes into a presentation when a single shot was fired at him, the university said.

 

Jeff Long, the university police chief, said he could not disclose whether the gun used in the killing had been recovered. The university said it had six officers working alongside Kirk’s security team at the event, which was attended by roughly 3,000 people.

 

Trump blamed the violence on the rhetoric of the “radical left” in an evening video address, while the suspect’s identity and motives remained unconfirmed. Spencer Cox, Utah’s governor, called the killing a “political assassination”.

 

Political leaders in the US immediately condemned the attack. Joe Biden, the former US president, tweeted: “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”

 

Barack Obama also condemned political violence, writing on X: “We don’t 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’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.”

 

Senior Democrats and Republicans also condemned the shooting. Gavin Newsom, Josh Shapiro, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were among Democrats who condemned the attack. JD Vance, Pam Bondi, Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth paid tribute to Kirk and asked the public to pray for him.

 

The House speaker, Mike Johnson, told reporters at the Capitol: “Political violence has become all too common in American society. This is not who we are. It violates the core principles of our country.”