Update: Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk killed at university event, Trump says
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Charlie Kirk was shot during a speech at Utah Valley University event.
- Video footage captured the moment as Kirk collapsed after a loud pop.
- Officials, including Senator Mike Lee, responded and requested public prayers.
Charlie Kirk, the head of Turning Point USA, the nation’s preeminent conservative youth organization, was killed Wednesday while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University, according to President Donald Trump.
“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 he beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” the president posted on the Truth Social social media platform.
Videos shared on social media show Kirk sitting under a white canopy, talking when he suddenly falls back as the sound of a loud pop is heard. A spokesperson for Kirk told The Associated Press that he was shot. Kirk’s condition is unknown.
While a university spokesman originally said that a suspect was in custody, that is not the case, according to a Utah news outlet.
“The suspect is not in custody. Police are still investigating Campus is closed for the rest of the day,” UVU spokesperson Scott Trotter said in a statement, according to Deseret News.
Mike Lee, a Utah senator, posted on X shortly after videos circulated online that he was “tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely.”
“Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there,” he said.
Kirk, a conservative political activist, was in Utah for his “Prove Me Wrong” tour, which began at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The tour, as many of his events, have drawn both supporters and protesters.
Mississippi politicians reacted on the social-media channel X on Wednesday.
Gov. Tate Reeves posted that Mississippi is praying for the conservative commentator.
Sen. Roger Wicker asked that Mississippians “join me in praying for Charlie Kirk. Political violence has no place in the United States.”
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith asked “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and his family.”
This breaking news story will be updated. The Los Angeles Times and UPI.com contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM.