Political activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead at an event at Utah Valley University on 10 September 2025. He was delivering a speech and addressing the students present when a single gunshot struck him in the neck, causing a fatal wound. Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries shortly after.
Disturbing videos from the scene have circulated online, showing widespread panic among the public after hearing the gunshot.
Charlie Kirk was 31.
Donald Trump expressed his grief in a Truth Social post and mourned the loss of one of his closest aides. "No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," wrote Trump in his post.
Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit advocacy group. Right before the shooting, he sat at the 'Prove me wrong' table, answering questions from the crowd.
US President Trump reacted to the assassination of Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead at an event at Utah University. Trump released a video on social media condemning the assassination and offering his prayers for Charlie's family.
In the video, Trump called Charlie a true American patriot and said Charlie loved the United States of America more than anyone else. Trump condemned gun violence and blamed the “radical left” for Charlie’s killing. He said it was because of the narrative created by the radical left against people like Charlie Kirk and others with conservative beliefs—comparing them with Nazis and the far right that led to this assassination.
"My Administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it," said Trump in the video.
Republican politician Vivek Ramaswamy who ran for president in 2024 also condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk and showed concern for the rising political violence in America.
An investigation is underway to capture the person responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Officials have confirmed that the shooting was a targeted attack.
Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller stated that the investigation might face complications because of the shooter’s planning and skills. He said, “This is the kind of person who would have planned to get in silently, try to be invisible, take this shot, accomplish the mission, take the gun with them and leave little evidence.” He further added that these factors could complicate the manhunt.
The Utah Public Safety Department said in a statement that the two suspects who were earlier under suspicion in connection with Charlie Kirk’s assassination were later released, as neither has “current ties to the shooting.”
First Lady Melania Trump wrote in her X post, “children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father’s voice should have echoed.”
Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika Frantzve, shared two children — a daughter, Sarah Rose (born in 2021), and a son (born in 2023).
She paid tribute to Charlie Kirk in her post, writing that his life stands as a symbolic reminder that “compassionate awareness elevates family, love, and country.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis demanded a “death penalty prosecution” for the killer responsible for the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He said in an interview with Fox News, “Obviously they gotta catch this guy. We need a very quick death penalty prosecution. I don't wanna see this take forever and a day. We need justice for this."
Late-night show host Jimmy Kimmel, along with others, has reacted to the death of Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. Kimmel shared a post on Instagram urging people to stop the “angry finger pointing” and called for compassion. He wrote, “Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just, for one day, agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?”
US Vice President JD Vance shared a post paying tribute to Charlie Kirk who was shot dead in an event at Utah Valley University. He began by recalling his first interaction with Kirk in 2017, when Vance appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show.
He wrote that after the show, he received a DM from Kirk saying he did a good job. “It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today,” wrote Vance.
Vance called him a “great family man” and a “true friend.” He further added, "Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives."
He concluded his post by writing, “You ran a good race, my friend. We've got it from here.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer paid tribute to Charlie Kirk after the political right-wing activist was publicly shot dead. In a post on X, Starmer wrote that Charlie Kirk’s death is “heart-breaking.” He added that Kirk’s death has robbed a young family of a husband and a father. Starmer further stated, “We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear — there can be no justification for political violence.”
Former President Barack Obama also condemned the shooting, calling it “despicable violence.” He wrote on X, “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared his condolences in an X post. He wrote that Charlie Kirk was “murdered” for speaking the truth. He added, "I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being.”