Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down in what authorities are calling a targeted political assassination during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. This wasn’t some random act of violence; it was a sniper’s shot that cut short one of the most effective conservative voices fighting for young Americans’ rights, including our right to bear arms.
The details emerging paint a picture of a peaceful dialogue turned deadly in an instant, underscoring how fragile free speech can be when hatred festers.
The event was part of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour,” a series of campus stops designed to spark real conversations with students on issues like faith, policy, and cultural battles.
Held outdoors in the university quad around 3:47 p.m. CDT on September 10, 2025, it drew about 3,000 attendees, many of them students eager for the signature Q&A format Kirk was known for—his “Prove Me Wrong Table,” where he’d field tough questions from all sides without backing down. There was a light police presence, no entry security checks, and a handful of respectful protesters on the edges, but the vibe was calm and engaging.
Kirk had some personal security up front, but nothing prepared for a shooter perched on a rooftop about 140 to 200 yards away.
What makes this so chilling is the precise moment it happened.
Kirk had just wrapped up the first question—a deep dive into religion that ran 15 to 20 minutes—when the second one came from an audience member. The topic zeroed in on mass shootings and gun violence, specifically tying into Kirk’s frequent discussions on how media and stats often skew the narrative around firearms and demographics.
The questioner asked, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk replied simply, “Too many.”
Pressing further, the audience member followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” Kirk shot back, “Counting or not counting gang violence?”
—a classic Kirk move, challenging the loaded framing of gun debates that pro-Second Amendment folks know all too well. Mere seconds later, a single gunshot echoed out. Kirk was struck in the neck, slumped forward, and collapsed as the crowd hit the deck in panic.
Eyewitnesses who were there describe a scene straight out of a nightmare, but one that highlights how quickly order can shatter without proper defenses.
Jason Chaffetz, a former Utah congressman and Fox News contributor who attended with his family, was watching Kirk closely from a shaded spot on the second level.
“I happened to be watching Charlie. I can’t say I saw blood. I can’t say I saw him get shot, but as soon as that shot went out, he fell back and to his left, and everybody hit the deck. A lot of people started screaming. And then everybody started running as you might expect,” Chaffetz recounted. He noted the shot felt directed right at Kirk, coming from across the open space.
Another attendee, Ryan DeVries, a 25-year-old in the crowd, heard what sounded like a “popping” firework before seeing Kirk’s head slump, sparking a stampede where people cried and screamed, fearing for their lives.
“People definitely feared for their lives. I could see it in their eyes. I could hear it in their voices. People were crying. People were screaming. It was a nightmare,” DeVries said.
Cari Bartholomew, a local activist there with her 17-year-old son who was next in line to ask a question, witnessed the chaos unfold and later reflected on the bigger picture: “I hope that it gets people to steel their spines. We’ve got something to fight for.”
Chaffetz also pointed to the irony of the timing, saying, “I think when this story is written, I don’t think it was a coincidence that the shot rang out when you have a question about transgender mass shootings. Hopefully, I am wrong. I will probably get criticized for jumping to conclusions, but I am just telling you in the 30 minutes or so, I don’t think that is a coincidence, but we will see.” Orem is one of the safest spots in America, Chaffetz added, making the lack of heavier security all the more glaring.
The Immediate Outcry
In the hours after, the response was swift and overwhelming, with leaders across the spectrum condemning the violence while honoring Kirk’s legacy as a defender of conservative principles and gun rights. Turning Point USA’s Chief Operating Officer Justin Streiff broke the news to staff: “It is with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that earlier this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven.”
President Trump shares a message on the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
“I ask all Americans to commit themselves to the American values for which Charlie Kirk lived & died. The values of free speech, citizenship, the rule of law & the patriotic devotion & love of God.” pic.twitter.com/3fBSgs4Zxa
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 11, 2025
President Donald Trump, a close ally, confirmed the tragedy and praised Kirk as irreplaceable: “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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump later called Kirk “a martyr for truth and freedom,” blaming radical left rhetoric for fostering such attacks and ordering flags at half-staff.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox labeled it a “political assassination,” stating, “This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.” The FBI quickly got involved, releasing images of a college-age person of interest and appealing for tips, while the campus locked down and evacuated. No arrests yet, but the manhunt continues, with a rifle and footprints recovered nearby.
For those of us who grew up listening to Kirk dismantle anti-gun myths and rally for the Constitution, this loss feels personal.
He was building a movement that empowered young people to question the status quo and defend their freedoms, including the right to protect ourselves. In a time when political discourse is more heated than ever, his death mid-sentence on a topic he mastered reminds us why we can’t let the enemies of liberty win. The investigation is ongoing, but one thing’s clear: Charlie Kirk’s fight doesn’t end here.
We are in dangerous times! We are NOT meeting our funding goals! Will you help out?
Article Sources
-
NBC News Live Blog: Live updates on the shooting, including witness descriptions of the moment Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-shooting-charlie-kirk-event-utah-rcna230437
-
The New York Times Live Coverage: Detailed timeline of the event, confirming Kirk was shot mid-response to a gun violence query. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09/10/us/charlie-kirk-shot-utah
-
CNN Live News: Manhunt updates and specifics on the Q&A interruption during discussion of mass shooters. https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-09-10-25
-
CBS News Live Updates: Report on the assassination, including quotes from attendees like Jason Chaffetz about the timing. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-turning-point-usa/
-
ABC News: Coverage of the political assassination, with eyewitness accounts from the event. https://abcnews.go.com/US/charlie-kirk-shot-event-utah-university-jd-vance/story?id=125451514
-
PBS NewsHour: Details on the recovered rifle and shooter’s position, tying into security lapses during the Q&A. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/high-powered-rifle-recovered-from-utah-campus-where-kirks-killer-was-able-to-blend-in
-
Al Jazeera: Profile of Kirk and timeline of the shooting, including the question about transgender mass shooters. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/11/who-was-charlie-kirk-what-we-know-about-the-shooting-and-the-suspect
-
Utah Valley University Statement: Official university response to the campus violence. https://attheu.utah.edu/facultystaff/statement-on-the-shooting-of-charlie-kirk/
-
Fox 13 Now (KSTU): Local reporting on the speaking event and immediate aftermath. https://www.fox13now.com/news/local-news/northern-utah/political-activist-believed-shot-at-utah-valley-university-speaking-appearance
-
FBI Official Remarks: Press conference details from Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls on the investigation. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/saltlakecity/news/remarks-by-sac-robert-bohls-at-press-conference-regarding-shooting-at-utah-valley-university
-
NPR: Analysis of the shooting as political violence, with context on Kirk’s gun rights advocacy. https://www.npr.org/2025/09/10/nx-s1-5537068/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-university-campus
-
TIME Magazine: Overview of Kirk’s life and the event, including family details. https://time.com/7316095/charlie-kirk-uvu-shooting-turning-point-usa/
-
BBC News: Investigative piece on the single bullet and sequence of events. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy04p4x21e5o
-
Wikipedia Entry: Factual summary of the shooting, including time and classification as assassination. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Charlie_Kirk
-
NDTV: Focus on the last question Kirk fielded before the shot. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/charlie-kirk-assassination-charlie-kirk-shot-dead-do-you-know-the-last-question-charlie-kirk-took-before-killer-shot-9256203
-
Reuters: Updates on the rifle recovery and person of interest, with quotes from Gov. Cox. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-authorities-find-rifle-release-photos-hunt-killer-charlie-kirk-2025-09-11/
-
The Telegraph: Visual reconstruction of how the shooting unfolded during the Q&A. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/politics/2025/09/11/how-the-shooting-of-charlie-kirk-unfolded/
Gone, but not forgotten! Never forgotten!
future president dead at 31
This young man had his shit together, he is going to be missed, but never forgotten. The left literally destroys everything that goes against them!
The saddest, most tragic thing I, and my entire generation, has ever seen. This will change America forever, and I pray to God for the better. I will never be the same. America will never be the same. I will never forget the impact Charlie Kirk has made and will continue to make on my life and the trajectory of America! He will be remembered for all time.
Never Surrender!!!
Shooter turns himself in with family and pastor.
There should have been a plexiglass shield in front of Charlie Kirk. He should have been wearing a bullet proof vest. Usually at events like this, security goes undercover and walks through the crowds looking for trouble makers and criminals . Security also should be using binoculars looking at windows and rooftops looking for vandals throwing beer bottles, bricks and fireworks at the crowd. Many people said there should have been drones with cameras flying over the buildings and crowd. One news photo showed the assassin on the rooftop News article said in Boise, Idaho, a memorial for Charlie Kirk,… Read more »
The possibilities are endless, and all can be unprovable.
For instance … [X]: A particular person walks up to the mic,
asking a question that begins the conversation, and also
sets a predetermined countdown to a shared assassination.
The concept of ‘coincidence’ is actually diminished by the
subject of the question, guns – violence – AND transsexualism.
Almost as though there were a psychopathic compulsion to
display one’s capacity for the devious. I did say ‘unprovable’,
and yet, still worthy of consideration.
This won’t interfere with liberals. They go on hating the dead with same intensity as they hate the living!
Hey, Nick, guess what! The NY Post stated via a statement from a law enforcement officer said that the assassin Tyler Robinson was living with a man that was transgender and was transitioning from male to female.
So its another LGBTQ+ killer. When they check the box, binary, they are stating that they are mentally ill. They should not have guns.
God bless Charlie Kirk, his family and friends as well as his supporters like me, and the supposedly 110 thousand people that marched in London today per A.I. and Faux news.
Flying his body on AF2 was a waste of tax dollars.