Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, an influential ally of former President Donald Trump, has been shot and killed at a campus event in the US state of Utah. The shooting has sent shockwaves through American politics and highlighted growing concerns over political violence.
Mr. Kirk, 31, was a prominent figure known for his public debates on university campuses across the country. The event where he was shot was part of his organisation’s “The American Comeback Tour.” A single shot was reportedly fired from an academic building roughly 100-200 yards away, according to multiple sources.
Mr. Kirk’s death was confirmed by former President Trump in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Mr. Trump wrote. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”
FBI director Kash Patel confirmed that a “subject” was in custody, with Utah Governor Spencer Cox later confirming a “person of interest” had been detained.
The Utah Governor, a Republican, condemned anyone who “celebrated, even a little bit” Mr. Kirk’s death. “I don’t care what his politics are. I care that he was an American,” Governor Cox said. He noted that America would be celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding next year and asked citizens to consider, “Is this it? Is this what 250 years has wrought upon us?”
Video footage circulating on social media shows Mr. Kirk, who was speaking under a tent, being asked a question about mass shootings just moments before the shot was fired.
Mr. Kirk was the founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, which he established at the age of 18. The organisation has become a major force in mobilising young conservative voters. A senator confirmed that Mr. Kirk’s wife and two young children were on the campus at the time of the incident.
The killing has been met with bipartisan condemnation, with political figures from both sides of the aisle calling for an end to political violence.
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