NEWS
Manhunt continues for suspect in Charlie Kirk shooting. Here’s what we know
The gunman who fatally shot conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk remains at large, in what authorities are calling a “targeted attack” on a Utah college campus.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned the killing as “a political assassination,” while President Donald Trump described Kirk’s death as a “dark day for America” and blamed the “radical left” for fueling political violence.
What We Know So Far
Targeted attack:
Kirk, 31, was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the shooter fired a single shot from the roof of a nearby building, describing the act as “a targeted attack towards one individual.”
Last moments:
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings when the gunman opened fire. He was rushed “by private vehicle” to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Trump reacts:
In a somber address from the Oval Office, President Trump said, “Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror.”
On tour:
The Utah event marked the launch of Kirk’s American Comeback Tour, a 14-city campus speaking series where he often engaged in combative Q&A sessions that went viral online.
Rising political violence:
Kirk’s killing follows a string of violent political incidents in the U.S. this year, including the assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in June, an arson attack on the Pennsylvania governor’s residence in April, and an assassination attempt on Trump during the July presidential campaign.
Authorities have not yet named a suspect, and the investigation is being led jointly by state police, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.