Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Killed in Shooting
September 11, 2025 - 14:53 (Published) - Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and founder of turning Point USA, was shot and killed today while speaking at a rally held at a university campus. The incident occured in front of an estimated 3,000 people.
Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck by a shot fired from a rooftop more than 100 meters away, according too American authorities. The shooter’s motivations are currently unkown. Videos of the shooting quickly circulated on social media.
President Donald Trump responded to the news, attributing blame to “the radical left.” In a video posted to his Truth Social network, he stated, “For years, the radical left has compared formidable Americans like Charlie to the nazis and the worst criminals… This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we know today.” He pledged to identify and prosecute all those involved in the “atrocity” and any other political violence, including those who fund and support it.
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to travel to Utah on Thursday to meet with Kirk’s family. He previously described Kirk as “a real friend.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox labeled the killing a “political assassination” and noted that the death penalty remains in force in the state. Several figures within the conservative movement have referred to Kirk as a ”martyr” for conservative and Christian values.
The FBI, led by Kash Patel, is continuing the examination. Two individuals were briefly detained but have since been released.
The shooting has sparked widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. Unsuccessful 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris stated that “political violence has no room in america.” Former President Joe Biden and other prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama, bernie Sanders, and California governor Gavin Newsom, also called for an immediate end to such violence.
Kirk, originally from the Chicago suburbs, was a vocal advocate for gun rights and a father of two. He founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, growing it into the largest youth conservative association in the United States. The organization has 6.9 million Instagram followers and 3.8 million YouTube subscribers. Turning Point USA played a notable role in mobilizing young voters for Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, including sending activists to Washington D.C. for the January 6, 2021 demonstration that led to the Capitol riot.
following the news of Kirk’s death, some students at the samuel Kimball campus expressed fear for their safety. One 18-year-old computer engineering student, who did not attend the event but identified with Kirk’s values, stated, “It gives me the impression that I should be very careful when I express my political opinions… If I was someone who was thinking of doing politics, I would be afraid of being shot.”
President Trump has ordered that American flags be flown at half-mast in tribute to Kirk.(Keystone-ATS) – Source Tag retained as per original text.
