Charlie Kirk, a far-right activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed Tuesday during an event in Utah. He was 31.
Kirk was speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University just outside of Provo when a gunman opened fire, striking him in the neck. Just before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last ten years?” the audience member asked. “Too many,” said Kirk.
The shooting was captured on a livestream before the feed abruptly cut off. Attendees described a scene of panic as people scrambled for cover. Kirk was transported to a hospital but later died of his injuries. FBI Director Kash Patel posted on social media that a suspect had been arrested, but local officials have reportedly said no such arrest has occurred and the suspect remains “at large.” The FBI and local authorities are investigating.
Kirk rose to national prominence after founding Turning Point USA in 2012, an organization that built influence on college campuses and later aligned itself closely with the “Make America Great Again” movement. He became a fixture on conservative media and a frequent speaker at Republican gatherings.
Kirk built his brand on inflammatory commentary that consistently targeted LGBTQ+ people. He was an outspoken opponent of same-sex marriage and regularly used his platform to denounce transgender rights. On his podcast “The Charlie Kirk Show” and at Turning Point USA events, he frequently argued that LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools amounted to indoctrination and posed a danger to children. Civil rights organizations and LGBTQ+ advocates condemned these remarks, saying they spread misinformation and contributed to a hostile climate for queer and trans people.
Kirk was also a staunch defender of gun rights. He opposed calls for stricter gun laws in the wake of mass shootings and argued that the constitutional right to bear arms outweighed concerns about gun violence. Just one week after a shooter killed three children and three adults at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, Kirk declared on his show that some deaths were an acceptable price for gun ownership. “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights,” he said.
Kirk’s assassination has sent shockwaves through the conservative movement and across the political spectrum. Republican leaders and right-wing media figures issued statements of grief, while critics underscored his legacy of anti-LGBTQ+ extremism and divisive rhetoric. President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: “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.” For LGBTQ+ advocates and civil rights groups, however, Kirk’s record is remembered for his inflammatory attacks on queer and trans communities, which they say fueled misinformation and intensified political polarization.
Kirk’s killing is one of the highest-profile political assassinations in recent U.S. history and underscores the nation’s escalating climate of polarization.
This story is developing.