President Donald Trump and Charlie Kirk speaking with attendees at the "Rally to Protect Our Elections" hosted by Turning Point Action at Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona / Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0
by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
OREM, UTAH/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Friends and political foes alike were plunged into mourning Wednesday after born-again Christian and conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, a city in the U.S. state of Utah.
Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, the nation’s most prominent conservative youth organization, was struck in the neck while addressing students on his “American Comeback Tour.”
Video reviewed by Worthy News showed Kirk clutching his throat before collapsing as students screamed and rushed for safety. Eyewitnesses said Kirk had just begun taking questions when the attack unfolded.
According to reporter Emma Pitts of the Deseret News, a Utah newspaper, Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings when he was suddenly struck. “Before he could even answer, we heard a gunshot, and we just saw Charlie Kirk’s neck turn to the side, and it appeared that he had been shot in the neck. There was blood, immediately a lot of blood,” Pitts recalled.
Videos circulating on social media showed an attendee asking Kirk: “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk responded: “Too many,” as the crowd clapped. When asked a follow-up question about the total number of mass shootings, Kirk began to answer, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Seconds later, he was seen collapsing.
Reporter Eva Terry, also of the Deseret News, said the shot appeared to have come “from the middle to the right side of the audience.”
He was still rushed to a hospital, but passed away, authorities confirmed.
REACTIONS FROM LEADERS
U.S. President Donald J. Trump, a close ally, urged prayer as news broke: “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
Later, he confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social, calling him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk… loved and admired by ALL, especially me.” He added: “Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said, “This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.”
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson posted: “Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk.”
Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “Political violence is NEVER acceptable. My thoughts and prayers are with Charlie Kirk and his family.”
Vice President J.D. Vance added: “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.”
Senator Mitt Romney said he was “horrified” and urged Americans to reject hatred and division.
ONGOING MANHUNT
After a reported manhunt and confusion over an initially detained elderly man, officials confirmed that a “person of interest” was in custody late Wednesday following the fatal shooting.
Utah Department of Public Safety Director Beau Mason told reporters that security camera images captured the suspect, who was dressed in dark clothing and may have fired from a rooftop.
UVU spokesperson Ellen Treanor earlier told the New York Times newspaper that Kirk had been struck by a shooter from a building about 200 yards (around 183 meters) away. “The incident is currently being investigated by four agencies: Orem police, UVU police, [Federal Bureau of Investigation] FBI, and Utah Department of Public Safety,” she added.
As the investigation continued, mourners remembered Kirk’s message, who often appeared on broadcaster Fox News and his own Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
He frequently spoke about his Christian convictions. He once declared, “I believe the Bible is true and real.” In another statement, he stressed, “Jesus is coming soon. He is real, and the Bible is His Word.”
Through Turning Point USA, Kirk inspired thousands of students nationwide.
His blending of conservative activism with open testimony of his faith made him a recognized voice in the growing movement of Christians linking faith and politics in the public square.
FAMILY AND LEGACY
Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, a former Miss Arizona USA and Christian entrepreneur, and their two young children — a daughter born in 2022 and a son born in 2024.
In an internal email posted online, Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Justin Streiff wrote: “It is with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that earlier this afternoon Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven … Turning Point USA and Turning Point Action will be closed for business until Monday, the 15th – likely longer.”
His killing underscored the rise of political violence in America. In July 2024, Trump narrowly survived a shooting at a Pennsylvania rally.
Earlier this year, a Minnesota legislator and her husband were gunned down in their home, and a Colorado rally for Israeli hostages was firebombed.
Commentators suggested Kirk’s death leaves a void in America’s Christian conservative movement.
His ability to link Biblical faith with politics made him a recognized figure on the national and international stage.
Yet, his assassination raised fresh questions about the future of faith-driven activism in a deeply polarized United States.
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