Charlie Kirk has died at the age of 31 after being shot in the neck during a speech at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. About 20 minutes into Kirk's speech, a bullet struck him from approximately 200 yards away, school officials confirmed to Fox 13.
President Donald Trump confirmed the news on Truth Social around 4:30 PM, ET. He wrote of the late right-wing political commentator: "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!"
Despite an earlier statement from the school to the contrary, a representative has since clarified that no suspects are in police custody. “We can confirm that Mr. Kirk was shot, but we don’t know his condition. The suspect is not in custody. Police are still investigating Campus is closed for the rest of the day,” a spokesperson from Utah Valley University told CNN around 4:00 PM, ET.
Both the FBI and ATF are on the scene investigating the incident. FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in a social media post that his agency is actively monitoring the situation. "We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University," he wrote. "Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation."
Charlie Kirk Shooting
Prior to his death, Kirk had been answering a question about mass shootings. Someone in the audience asked him, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” He responded by remarking, "Too many." When the person clarified the number is only five, and asked how many mass shooters there have been in total, Kirk quipped: "Counting or not counting gang violence?” At that moment, the bullet struck him in the neck.
Kirk became closely aligned with the Donald Trump administration during the 2024 Presidential Election. On the night before his inauguration, earlier this year, Trump credited Kirk with helping him win over young voters.
