As most of India slept, a fatal shooting rocked the United States, killing Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and a close ally of President Donald Trump.
Kirk was fatally shot mid-speech at a college event in Utah on Wednesday (local time), while he was reportedly in the middle of answering a question on mass shooting incidents in the country. The bullet was reportedly filed from a rooftop.
Follow latest updates on Charlie Kirk's shooting here.
After he was shot, Charlie Kirk was rushed to a hospital for treatment but couldn't survive the fatal shooting. There was only one shot fired, and while a suspect was narrowed down earlier, he was released after questioning by the FBI.
Here's what we know far:
What was Kirk doing? Moments before he was shot, Charlie Kirk was speaking at a debate, that was said to be the first event on his 'The American Comeback Tour'. He was answering a question on gun violence, specifically mass shootings, when a gunfire rang out, killing the conservative activist.
What was Charlie Kirk asked? “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”, Charlie Kirk was reportedly asked, and he was in the middle of his answer to the question when he fatally shot. “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk had said in reply.
{{/usCountry}}What was Charlie Kirk asked? “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”, Charlie Kirk was reportedly asked, and he was in the middle of his answer to the question when he fatally shot. “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk had said in reply.
{{/usCountry}}Firing from rooftop: The shooting, termed "political assassination" by Utah governor Spencer Cox, was carried out from a rooftop and only shot was fired. FBI director Kash Patel said that a person of interest was in custody over the killing, but was released after questioning.
How Charlie Kirk was shot: Viral videos show him lifting the mic to respond to a question when a shot struck, blood spurting from the left side of his neck. Chaos followed as people ducked and scrambled for cover.
Trump blames ‘radical left': President Donald Trump's first reaction to Kirk's killing came through a Truth Social post: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie". He later issued a video message, blaming the “radical left”, accusing them of comparing people like Kirk to "Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals."
Also Read: Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting mocked in TikTok videos, X in uproar: ‘Disgusting and evil’
Charlie Kirk’s assassination triggered a bipartisan condemnation and further raised concerns over mass shootings and political violence in the US, once again reigniting the debate on gun control.
Notably, Trump also narrowly escaped death last year after an open firing at his rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024. Trump was also in the middle of an address when a shooter, identified as Thomas Matthew Crooks, fired shots from a rooftop.
While there was no threat to his life, Donald Trump had sustained a minor injury in his right ear.