Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Wednesday at Utah Valley University while on stage. The shooting happened at the first stop of a campus tour being put on by his organization. Former President Donald Trump commented on Kirk’s passing, on Truth Social, calling him “a great guy from top to bottom.”

Kirk was speaking to a crowd in an outdoor space with a “Prove Me Wrong” tent set up when one gunshot rang out. Videos on X (formerly Twitter) show him grabbing his neck in pain as he drops to the stage while attendees can be seen screaming and running away. The Utah Valley University Administration confirmed that a speaker was shot and recognized they still had an active shooter.

Kirk, 31, was traveling with a full-time security team, a spokesman for Turning Point USA said. Other witnesses said only a few police were sighted.

Former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz was in attendance, and, while he didn’t see the shooter, he described the scene as chaotic mentioning that the shot came from nearby and shook the crowd.

Reaction From Public Figures

Charlie Kirk Has Died From Shooting at Utah Valley University Event
Donald Trump was quick to react on social media offering condolences to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and family stating, “No one understood the heart of America’s youth like Charlie.”

Kirk’s death comes during a time of historic increased political violence in the country. In the last several months, a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband were murdered, a parade in Colorado disrupted when a firebomb was thrown, and the Pennsylvania Governor’s residence was set on fire. More famously, Trump himself was the victim of an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in July.

Charlie Kirk started Turning Point USA at 18 years old in 2012 and quickly became a name that would become synonymous, with conservative movements. The organization became known for it’s college outreach and support of Donald Trump. Kirk also frequently made media appearances around the nation furthering low tax, pro-liberty talking points.

The leader of the conservative youth movement is gone, adding to the long, and growing, list of political figures victimized from violence in America.