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Conservative activist Charlie Kirk died Wednesday after being shot during a student question-and-answer session at Utah Valley University, with President Donald Trump confirming his death nearly two hours after the initial incident.
Kirk, executive director of Turning Point USA, was struck near the neck while seated during the live event, part of his organization's American Comeback Tour hosted by the university's TPUSA chapter. Video footage circulating on social media shows Kirk being hit while speaking under a tent in the campus courtyard.
Witnesses reported seeing Kirk fall from his chair as shots were fired. The incident prompted an immediate campus evacuation following reports of an active shooter situation.
Trump announced Kirk's death on his Truth Social platform, writing: "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!"
Utah Valley University police confirmed to news outlets that shots were fired on campus, though official details about the shooting remain limited beyond Trump's confirmation of Kirk's death.
The incident drew swift reaction from Utah's congressional delegation before Kirk's death was confirmed. Sen. Mike Lee posted on social media that he was "tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely," adding, "Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there."
Sen. Ashley Moody also responded on social media, stating her "office is monitoring the situation at Utah Valley University. I pray for Charlie Kirk, the students, and this nation."
Minutes before the shooting, Kirk had posted enthusiastically about the event on social media: "WE. ARE. SO. BACK. Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour."
Kirk, a prominent figure in conservative politics, had built Turning Point USA into one of the most influential right-wing student organizations in the country. The group regularly hosts speaking events on college campuses nationwide.
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