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UPDATE — 9/10/25, 4:45 p.m. ET: Charlie Kirk has died at age of 31, according to CNN.
President Donald Trump reacted to the news of Kirk’s death on social media app Truth Social.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote. “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!”
Original story below:
Conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk has been shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk is currently in “critical condition” after being taken to a local hospital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
Kirk, 31, was participating in a Q&A with students when he appeared to be shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10, per footage shared via social media.
“A single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker. Police are investigating now, suspect in custody,” a campus alert from the university read.
The alert, however, proved to be incorrect.
“The suspect is not in custody,” Utah Valley University spokesperson Scott Trotter said in a follow-up statement. “Police are still investigating. Campus is closed for the rest of the day.”
Wednesday’s event was organized by Turning Point USA, which Kirk cofounded in 2012.
“This is an ongoing situation. We can confirm that Charlie Kirk has been shot. He is in the hospital, and we are praying for him at this time,” Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA, said in a statement.
Kirk’s status is not currently known.
According to CNN, the shot was fired from a campus building about 200 yards from where Kirk was speaking.
President Donald Trump responded to news of Kirk’s shooting on social media app Truth Social.
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” Trump, 79. Wrote. “A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
Former United States Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who represented Utah from 2009 to 2017, was an eyewitness to the shooting.
“People were there, and there were lots of them,” Chaffetz, 58, told Fox News during a phone interview shortly after the shooting. “You know, he came out, he was throwing hats, riling up the crowd.”
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Chaffetz said Kirk first answered a “religious question” and was then asked about “transgender shootings” and “mass killings.”
“When that happened, when that question came out, and he’s you know, he’s going to have the interaction, one shot,” Chaffetz recalled. “I was watching Charlie. I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left.”
Chaffetz added, “As soon as the shot went out, everybody hit the deck and everybody started scattering and yelling and screaming, as you might imagine. And I went from watching Charlie Kirk to looking over to make sure our daughter and our son-in-law were OK.”
English (US) ·