The prominent US rightwing activist has died after being attacked at a public event in Utah
Charlie Kirk, a major supporter of Donald Trump and the executive director of the Turning Point USA organization, has died after he was shot while delivering a talk at Utah Valley University, the US president has announced.
The 31-year-old activist and influencer was shot in the neck while taking questions from a crowd gathered on the grounds of the university. Kirk was reportedly shot from a building about 200 yards from where he stood, having addressed the crowd for some 20 minutes, a university spokesperson told New York Times.
“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,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, extending condolences to Kirk's wife Erika and family.
The shooter remains at large, according to officials. One person detained in the aftermath of the murder has been cleared of suspicion. Federal and local agencies, including the FBI, are now leading the investigation, but no details about the suspect’s identity or possible motive have been released.
Widely credited with playing a decisive role in Donald Trump’s most recent presidential victory, Kirk helped mobilize young voters, particularly young men, through a mix of campus activism, viral online debates, and relentless outreach. He developed close ties with Trump and his family during the president’s first term and became one of the most influential figures shaping conservative youth politics in the US. Married with two children, Kirk was seen by admirers as a Christian nationalist defending traditional values against liberal causes, while critics cast him as a polarizing force in America’s culture wars.
Kirk rose to prominence through his debates with liberal and progressive students, videos of which drew tens of millions of views across platforms and were translated into multiple languages, extending his reach well beyond the US. He amassed millions of followers on X (formerly Twitter) and TikTok, turning him into a household name among conservative youth.
Through Turning Point USA, he built what has been described as the fastest-growing student conservative organization in the country, one that dominated campus politics and helped deliver youth support to Trump. His outspoken stances included fierce opposition to US aid to Ukraine, arguing that America’s border security mattered more.
Commenting on the shooting in Utah on his Telegram channel, Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev hailed Kirk for his calls for dialogue with Moscow.
“The attempt on the life of a person advocating common sense and opposing hysteria highlights the depth of the rift in the US,” the Russian official wrote.
