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Popular U S Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Dies After Shooting At

Bonisiwe Shabane
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popular u s conservative activist charlie kirk dies after shooting at

Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, has died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He was 31. As Trump remade the Republican Party, Kirk embodied the party’s newfound populist conservatism in the social media age. Trump has credited Kirk with galvanizing and mobilizing the youth vote for him. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” the president wrote. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us.”

Kirk’s sudden death Wednesday sent shockwaves across the political spectrum, with Republicans and Democrats calling for an end to political violence at a time of heightened concern about deadly attacks and the targeting of... Last year, a gunman attempted to assassinate Trump at a Pennsylvania rally. In April, a man was arrested in connection with an arson at the Pennsylvania governor’s house as Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside. In June, a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were assassinated in their home. U.S.

right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University in what that state's governor described as a "political assassination." Authorities had not yet publicly identified a suspect. FBI Director Kash Patel said an unnamed "subject" had been detained for questioning and then released. "Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," he wrote on social media. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox had said at an earlier press conference that police were interviewing a "person of interest," without providing further details about the person's identity.

At the same press conference, however, Beau Mason, the Utah Department of Public Safety commissioner, said the shooter remained "at large." In a video message taped in the Oval Office and posted to his Truth Social online platform, Trump vowed that his administration would locate the assailant. Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead at a Utah university event on Wednesday. (Produced by Elaine Carroll) Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during one of his trademark public appearances at a... He was 31.

Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force — rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. The event was kicking off a planned series of Kirk college appearances from Colorado to Virginia dubbed “The American Comeback Tour.” His assassination was one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer’s shooting of Trump, that have... Trump announced Kirk’s death on his social media site, Truth Social. Kirk was an influential activist who mobilized young voters to support Republicans. Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point USA's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept.

10, 2025. | Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP Charlie Kirk, who was close to President Donald Trump as an influential figure in conservative politics known for mobilizing young voters, was shot to death Wednesday while speaking at a college campus in Utah... FBI Director Kash Patel said a person who had been detained as a suspect has been released and that no one else is in custody. “Charlie was the best of America, and the monster who attacked him was attacking our whole country,” Trump said in a video statement after the shooting. Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press Hannah Schoenbaum, Associated Press

Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Mark Sherman, Associated Press Mark Sherman, Associated Press OREM, Utah (AP) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot and killed Wednesday at a Utah... WATCH: Prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk killed at event in Utah Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday at an outdoor rally at a Utah college. Conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk has died.

President Trump announced his death after Kirk was shot at a college campus in Utah. The president has ordered flags to fly at half-staff to mark Kirk's death. Kirk helped usher in an age of in-your-face conservative politics, especially for young voters. NPR's Stephen Fowler joins us now. Hi. SUMMERS: So Stephen, having the president order flags to half-staff, that's something traditionally done in times of mourning.

Tell us, what kind of relationship did Kirk have with President Trump? FOWLER: Yeah, so flags are at half-staff. Think instances like the death of former President Jimmy Carter and other national tragedies. And this is because Charlie Kirk was somebody who was close to President Trump and was a trusted voice for the administration, particularly speaking for and about young people. Trump announcing Kirk's death on social media said, quote, "no one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie." SUMMERS: Let's take a step back here, if we can.

What can you tell us about Kirk's appearance at today's event there in Utah? Charlie Kirk, who rose from a teenage conservative campus activist to a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday during one of his trademark public appearances... He was 31. Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force — rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. His shooting is one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer's shooting of Trump, that have... Trump announced Kirk's death on his social media site, Truth Social: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump wrote.

Kirk personified the pugnacious, populist conservatism that has taken over the Republican Party in the age of Trump. He launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to tread. A backer of Trump during the president's initial 2016 run, Kirk took Turning Point from one of a constellation of well-funded conservative groups to the center of the right-of-center universe. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, United States. The outdoor event was the first stop of the Fall 2025 season for the American Comeback Tour, a speaking and debate series planned by Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization that he co-founded. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while engaging with an audience member about mass shootings in the United States by a sniper on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards (130 m)...

The next day, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson surrendered himself to the local sheriff. Prosecutors charged Robinson with murder on September 16 and announced they would seek the death penalty, alleging the attack was politically motivated.[2][3][4] The assassination was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan comments and celebrations of his death.[5][6][7] President Donald Trump,... The Trump administration called for a crackdown against what it called "political extremism" on the left,[10][11][12][13] which was widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts as using the assassination as a pretext... Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA.[17][18] A close ally of US president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his...

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Charlie Kirk, a conservative political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, has died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. He was 31. As Trump remade the Republican Party, Kirk embodied the party’s newfound populist conservatism in the social media age. Trump has credited Kirk with galvanizing and mobilizing the ...

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right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University in what that state's governor described as a "political assassination." Authorities had not yet publicly identified a suspect. FBI Director Kash Patel said an unnamed "subject" had been detained for questioning and then released. "Our investigation continues and we will ...

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