Charlie Kirk death: Police hold presser, share video of suspect fleeing crime scene

Here's a quick recap of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk:

• While responding to a question on mass shooting at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University, 31-year-old conservative leader and a close ally of Trump, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot in the neck. Visuals from the scene showed Kirk sitting on a chair when the gunshot hit him, resulting in blood spurting out of his neck and him falling off the chair.
• Charlie Kirk's security detail and others rushed him to the Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where doctors later pronounced him dead. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called Kirk's death a “political assassination”.
• US President Donald Trump condoled his death and called Charlie Kirk a ‘true patriot’ of America. He blamed the ‘radical left’ for the killing of Kirk and vowed to punish each individual involved in this assassination.
• Tributes from around the globe and the US, cutting across party lines, poured in for Charlie Kirk. The common stance being that there is no justification for such acts of violence in a democracy.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement authorities probing the case had initially taken two men into custody. However, they were later released after interrogation.
• The FBI said that the investigation into the shooting was underway, adding that a manhunt to nab the suspect was also ongoing. It requested the public to share any information, pictures or videos they have of the incident to help with the probe.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was fatally shot at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The tragic assassination of the Trump ally has sparked interest in his political opinions.

Several of his controversial remarks, including those on abortion and gun violence, have now gone viral on social media.

Gun Violence: He has often shifted the focus to 'mental health' when it came to questions about mass shootings and rejected calls for gun control.

Abortion: Charlie Kirk advocated for motherhood over careers for women. He also criticised birth control, saying that it makes women 'angry and bitter'.

LBGTQ: Kirk was known for his anti-LBGTQ stance. He described progressive voices on gender and sexuality as "sexual anarchy".

Religion: Charlie Kirk's views on religion changed after the Covid-19 lockdown, when churches were closed and partnership with religious right figures increased. He pushed for the integration of Christianity into conservative political action.

Racism: Charlie Kirk denied the existence of white privilege as a "racist lie". He even called George Floyd a "scumbag" at a campus event.

Embassies of the United States in Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, have lowered their flags to half-staff following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

'The Late Show' host Stephen Colbert condemned political violence in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination and said that it does not solve any political differences.

"Our condolences go out to his family and all of his loved ones," he said in a special message he recorded after the night's monologue.

"I'm old enough to personally remember the political violence of the 1960s, and I hope it is obvious to everyone in America that political violence does not solve any of our political differences. Political violence only leads to more political violence, and I pray with all my heart that this is the abhorrent action of a mad man and not a sign of things to come," he added.

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel spoke about the killing of Charlie Kirk on Instagram and termed the attack

"horrible and monstrous".

"Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just, for one day, agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?" he asked.

"On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents, and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence," Kimmel wrote on Instagram.

A candelight vigil was held for Charlie Kirk outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem, Utah, the facility where the conservative leader was taken after being shot at the UVU campus.

Kirk, who was shot in the neck, was pronounced dead by the doctors at the hospital.

The New York Yankees held a moment of silence in memory of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday night before the Tigers game.

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned the assassination of Charlie Kurk as "a sign of the utter desperation and cowardice of those who could not defeat him in argument".

"Charlie Kirk has been killed not for espousing extremist views - because he didn’t. He has been killed for saying things that used to be simple common sense. He has been killed because he had the courage to stand up publicly for reasonable opinions held by millions and millions of ordinary people both in the US and Britain. The world has a shining new martyr to free speech," Johnson said in a post on X.

Harry Sisson, a 22-year-old Democrat, condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk and termed it "disgusting and absolutely unacceptable".

Later, as President Trump confirmed the news of Kirk's death, Sisson said, "I’m sick to my stomach. My thoughts go out to his wife, his kids, and anyone else close to him. Absolutely tragic."

He also urged people to stop sharing the video of the moment Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck, and he fell off his chair while bleeding profusely.

Charlie Kirk shooting updates: Robert F Kennedy Jr condoled the killing of Charlie Kirk and said that "once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era".

"My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country's relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country," he added.

Charlie Kirk death news: Conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk's stance on abortion has gone viral after his death in a fatal shooting in Utah.

In one exchange that has again gone viral, Kirk was asked during a public forum how he would respond if his own daughter, at the age of 10, were raped and became pregnant.

“That’s awfully graphic,” Kirk said. “But the answer is yes, the baby would be delivered.”

His stance was consistent with his evangelical Christian worldview, which blended politics and religion and often animated his speeches, podcasts and campus events.

Charlie Kirk shooting | If you're just joining us, here's a quick recap of what has happened so far:

• Conservative leader and Trump ally, 31-year-old Charlie Kurk, was fatally shot in the neck during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
• Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that the killing was a "political assassination".
• US President Donald Trump expressed heartfelt condolences over Charlie Kirk's assassination, calling him "the great, legendary, and true patriot". Trump released a video statement and blamed the 'radical left' for Kirk's killing and vowed punish each one involved in the murder.
• Law enforcement officials had taken two individuals into custody, one after the other, but released both of them after interrogation. The FBI said that it is probing the assassination along with state and local law enforcement partners, saying that a manhunt to nab the suspect is underway.
• Leaders from across the globe, including Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Italian President Giorgia Meloni, condemned the killing, saying there is no justification for such violence.
• In view of the killing, all in-person and online classes, and administrative work have been suspended at the Utah school. The UVU said that it will be closed for the rest of the week.
• Eyewitnesses present at the event at Utah University said Charlie Kirk was responding to a question about mass shooters when suddenly a 'pop' sound came, a gunshot rang, and the conservative leader started profusely bleeding from his neck. Kirk fell off his chair as panic gripped the crowd at the campus event.
• The FBI has asked the public to share any information, photos or videos from the incident to help law enforcement agencies answer more questions and probe the case.

Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a tea-party activist, at the age of 18.

Turning Point backed Trump, who became the GOP nominee for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.

The Trump connection helped Turning Point rise to prominence, resulting in Kirk's regular appearances on television, where he leaned into the culture wars and praised the President.

Kirk was also known for his controversial statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters. He also opposed the enactment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Following the on-campus assassination of Charlie Kirk, Utah Valley University will remain closed for the rest of the week.

In a statement on its website, the university said, "All classes (in-person or virtual), campus events, and administrative operations will be suspended during this time."

The school said that coursework, assignment deadlines and exams for students will be postponed to accommodate the closure, adding that employees will receive their regular pay.

Days before his assassination, Charlie Kirk had warned about a "globalist menace" in Tokyo on his first speaking tour of Asia.

In Seoul on Friday, Kirk spoke about he "brought Trump to victory", while addressing Build Up Korea 2025, a conservative that has previously featured speakers including Donald Trump Jr.

After Seoul, Kirk travelled to Tokyo where he spoke at a symposium hosted by the upstart Sanseito party, which made its political breakthrough in a July upper house vote warning about a "silent invasion" of immigrants.

"I'm excited ... to learn and to hopefully invigorate the people of your great nation to keep fighting this globalist menace," Kirk said.

Charlie Kirk, who died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University, had last posted on X on September 10. He posted a clip from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt's media briefing and said: "If we want things to change, it's 100% necessary to politicize the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska because it was politics that allowed a savage monster with 14 priors to be free on the streets to kill her."

He was referring to the killing of the Ukrainian at the West Boulevard light rail station on the Lynx Blue Line in Charlotte, North Carolina.

31-year-old conservative leader, commentator, right-wing activist and a close ally of President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, was fatally shot during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Kirk was a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment of the American Constitution, which protects an individual's right to own arms.

From asking women to prioritize motherhood over careers to once saying some gun deaths were "worth it", Kirk was no less than a controversial figure with many critics.

Read full story here

A witness to Charlie Kirk's shooting, who was present at Utah Valley University for the conservative leader's event, described the moment the 31-year-old was shot.

"I was only maybe 15 feet away from him, and I heard a pop, and I said in my mind 'that was a gunshot'. I pretty much knew immediately that he wasn't going to make it," Skyler Baird told CNN affiliate KUTV.

“He was well guarded against someone running up with a knife or someone who was trying to fight him personally, but security in the general area, it was just a normal campus day," he added.

While informing that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is working with local and state law enforcement partners to investigate the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, the agency asked "anyone with information, photos, and video from the incident" to share the files to help the FBI.

Charlie Kirk shooting updates: Several leaders who have themselves faced violence, or whose family members were targeted, expressed bipartisan condemnation of Charlie Kirk’s shooting.

Nancy Pelosi noted the “horrific shooting” was reprehensible, highlighting that political violence has no place in the U.S. Her husband had been attacked at their home in 2022.

President Donald Trump, who sustained minor injuries in a previous shooting, described Kirk as a “great guy from top to bottom” and praised his connection with American youth.

Gabrielle Giffords, who survived a 2011 shooting, said she was “horrified” and stressed that disagreements must never be met with violence.

Steve Scalise, shot in 2017, asked followers to “please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk after this senseless act.”

Josh Shapiro, whose family faced a fire attack at the governor’s mansion, called the shooting “horrifying” and condemned growing acts of violence.

Gretchen Whitmer, targeted in a 2020 kidnapping plot, urged everyone to unite against all forms of political violence.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., invoking his family’s legacy, called Kirk a “relentless and courageous crusader for free speech” and lamented that a bullet had silenced another important voice.

Charlie Kirk shooting updates: California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the killing of conservative leader Charlie Kirk and said, "The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form."

Charlie Kirk shooting updates: "A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today," Vice President JD Vance wrote in a post on X.

Vance heaped praises on his 'true friend' and recalled memories of their interactions. "You ran a good race, my friend. We've got it from here," he said while concluding the post.

Read JD Vance's full post here.

US activist Charlie Kirk, a key Trump ally, was shot in the neck and killed at a Utah university event, what governor termed as “political assassination”. Images from the event captured the panic and horror felt at by the attendees.

Charlie Kirke shooting updates: Conservative leader Charlie Kirk had arrived at the student-sponsored event at Utah Valley University and said, "We're going to be here a couple hours... bring the best libs Utah has to offer."

He was answering a question about mass shooters when the shot rang out. Blood spurted out of his neck as he fell off the chair, with the crowd going into panic and chaos.

Charlie Kirk shooting updates: Former Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at the event, told Fox News that Charlie Kirke was responding to a question about "transgender shooters, mass shooters, and in the midst of that, the shot rang out."

"As soon as that shot went out, he fell back. Everybody hit the deck... a lot of people started screaming, and then everybody started running," Chaffetz added.

The 31-year-old collapsed as blood spurted from his neck, several videos of the tragic incident showed.

Kirk was rushed away on a stretcher by his security detail.