Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead at the hospital after he was shot while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University.
President Donald Trump confirmed the death on Truth Social.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump posted. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
Kirk, who is known as "America's hardest working grassroots activist," was gunned down by an unknown suspect. Although someone was taken into custody from the scene, authorities did not identify him as a suspect.
Thousands attended the event on Wednesday. Kirk greeted fans and tossed hats into the crowd before going under a white tent, where he took to the microphone. Kirk took questions from the crowd for about 20 minutes and was answering a question about mass shootings in America when the fatal shot was fired.
Several videos showed the bullet piercing Kirk's neck, blood gushing and Kirk falling out of his chair. People in the crowd ducked as Kirk's team moved to cover him. More videos showed Kirk being carried into a vehicle by several people.
Charlie Kirk was 31 years old.
Kirk appeared at the Alabama Republican Party’s Summer Dinner at the University of Alabama in 2018, alongside Candace Owens. Then-ALGOP chair Terry Lathan said the event was a success and was sold out a month in advance. She said the message was “it’s not about your skin color,” but about the choices you make.
Kirk also visited the Capstone Hotel in Tuscaloosa in 2021 for an event sponsored by the University of Alabama’s Turning Point USA chapter. He spoke against vaccine mandates and critical race theory, according to The Crimson White.
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