Conservative Activist & Founder of Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, Has Been Fatally Shot

Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot after attending an event at Utah Valley University in the city of Orem, UT. Kirk was only 31 years old. He was the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a nonprofit organization focused on
conservative politics in high schools, college and university campuses.

Video shows Kirk talking on a microphone from his pop-up tent, which says “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong,” then a large pop sound is heard with the camera checking to see where it came from with students and attendees screaming and beginning to run for their lives.

Kirk was confirmed to be dead by the U.S. President Donald Trump. CBS News reports “‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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,’ Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’”

He was also an ally to U.S. President Trump. Moreover, Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence paid tribute to the late Charlie Kirk.
“Former Vice President Mike Pence called Kirk a “truly good man” and said he and his wife Karen Pence are praying for Kirk’s family,” according to CNN.

Kirk was discussing gun violence and mass shootings for being fatally shot. The Associated Press reports, “Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.”

This was part of Kirk’s The American Comeback tour, which rallies over 1,800 universities in Wyoming. There was an online petition for university administrators to prevent Kirk from entering the campus that almost received 1,000 signatures.

Utah Valley University Police are not releasing any statements, after an attempt to get into contact with them.

Reports show that a man was taken into custody but was only charged with obstructing justice but the identity of the suspect is still unknown. The suspect was wearing dark clothing on a rooftop and fired shots 200 yards away from Kirk from the Losee Center Building on the UVU campus.

After the shooting occurred, UVU was placed under lockdown with classes being cancelled until further notice, students were instructed to stay in place until police could escort them off campus. Then, armed police went by a neighborhood neighboring the campus to ask for information about the shooter.

A motive has not been disclosed for the shooting but there has been a wave of political violence throughout the U.S. with the assassination of Minnesota State Representative, Melissa Hortman and her husband back in June, a firebombing attack at a pro-Israel demonstration in Boulder, Colorado in the same month. Last year, there were two attempted assassinations towards President Trump in July in Pennsylvania and Florida
three months later.

Charlie Kirk founded TPUSA at the age of 18 back in 2012. He attended Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, but had dropped out to become a full-time political activist. Kirk also has a Youtube channel and radio show host. Kirk had also spread misinformation, diverse rhetoric and conspiracy theories that included fraud claims from the 2020 U.S. presidential election and delusions about the Covid pandemic and vaccines.