While speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck and died. The incident happened during his “American Comeback Tour,” shortly after noon.
Video and eyewitness accounts depict the terrified crowd’s reaction as Kirk passed out and fell out of his chair. He was taken right away to a local hospital, where his injuries ultimately caused his death.
Authorities think the shot may have come from the Losee Center, but it was fired from a rooftop about 200 yards away. After the event, a person of interest was first arrested but then freed, and as of right now, there are no suspects in custody.
Governor Spencer Cox vowed a thorough inquiry and referred to the murder as a “political assassination.” The search for the perpetrator of the incident is being led by the FBI and state and local law enforcement. Following this, UVU imposed a campus lockdown.
While politicians from all parties condemned the violence and called for togetherness, President Donald Trump publicly lamented Kirk’s death, calling him “legendary.”