Charlie Kirk, a conservative media personality and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while visiting Utah Valley University on Wednesday. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a Truth Social post on the same day.
RFK Jr. stated that “once again” a bullet has silenced a “truth teller” following the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
A single, deafening shot shattered the air at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, cutting down Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old firebrand founder of Turning Point USA. As Kirk spoke to a fervent crowd of over 3,000 under a white tent, a bullet fired from a building 200 yards away struck him, sparking chaos as students and supporters fled in terror. Rushed to a hospital, Kirk was pronounced dead, a loss confirmed by President Donald Trump on Truth Social in a gut-wrenching post that called him a “Great, and even Legendary” patriot. This brazen assassination has plunged America into grief and fury, reigniting fears of a nation unraveling under political violence.
Kirk, a husband to Erika Frantzve and father to a 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son, was a conservative titan who fearlessly championed free speech and mobilized young Americans. Utah Governor Spencer Cox branded the killing a “political assassination,” vowing justice with the weight of Utah’s death penalty. As the nation mourns, the question burns: Who silenced Charlie Kirk, and what does this mean for America’s soul?
Trump mourns Charlie Kirk as ‘martyr for truth and freedom,’ blames left, media for fueling violence.
From the Oval Office, President Trump delivered a searing eulogy, calling Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom” whose love for America inspired millions. “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to liberty, democracy, and the American people,” Trump said, blaming “hateful” left-wing rhetoric and media for fueling the violence. He ordered flags lowered to half-staff through Sunday, vowing to hunt down those responsible, including organizations that “fund and support” such acts.
Global leaders joined the outcry. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu mourned Kirk as a “lion-hearted friend” who stood tall for Judeo-Christian values, while Argentina’s Javier Milei condemned the “atrocious crime” driven by the left’s “violent phenomenon full of hatred.” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni stressed the sanctity of free debate, with Meloni calling the murder a “deep wound for democracy.” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose own family knows the sting of assassination, wrote on X, “Charlie was our country’s relentless crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children.”
Lawmakers mourn Charlie Kirk after fatal shooting, with tributes, condemnations, and blame.
The tragedy exposed glaring failures by UVU’s security. Chief Jeff Long admitted his department’s lapse, despite six campus officers, Kirk’s personal security team, and plainclothes personnel in the crowd. “We didn’t cover our bases, and because of that, we had this tragic incident,” Long confessed. Ellen Treanor, UVU’s associate vice president, confirmed the shot came from a nearby building, with Kirk whisked away by his team moments after collapsing.
The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, briefly detained a suspect but released them, with a manhunt now intensifying alongside local authorities and Homeland Security Investigations. “We will find you, try you, and hold you accountable,” Cox declared, his voice resolute. UVU evacuated its campus, canceling classes and setting up a hotline (801-863-8130) for safe escorts. As the investigation unfolds, the campus remains a ghost town, locked down under the weight of tragedy.
Lawmakers mourn Charlie Kirk after fatal shooting, with tributes, condemnations, and blame.
Kirk’s meteoric rise began in 2012 when he founded Turning Point USA, a movement to ignite conservative activism among youth. Dropping out of college, he took on the “far-left bastions” of university campuses, engaging in fiery debates and hosting summits that drew thousands. His TPUSA Faith branch empowered Christians to live their beliefs boldly, reflecting Kirk’s own faith. “Jesus defeated death so you can live,” he posted on X days before his death, a haunting echo of his convictions.
Tributes flooded in from allies and adversaries alike. Vice President JD Vance called him a “genuinely good guy,” while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene hailed his “huge legacy” and influence on young conservatives. Former Presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and George W. Bush condemned the violence, with Bush decrying a “cold-blooded murder” on a campus meant for open ideas. Yet, not all mourned. Occupy Democrats’ Instagram reel, liked nearly 8,000 times, sneered, “Charlie Kirk spent his life disparaging immigrants, disrespecting women, and blaming Black folks, only to get shot in one of the whitest places on earth,” exposing the raw divisions Kirk’s voice provoked.
On September 10, 2025, President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff to honor Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who was fatally shot at a college event at Utah Valley University. The directive, announced via Truth Social, mandates that flags at all federal buildings, military bases, embassies, and other U.S. government properties be lowered until sunset on September 14, 2025, as a mark of respect for Kirk, whom Trump described as a “Great American Patriot.” The shooting, which occurred during Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” event, prompted widespread bipartisan condemnation and renewed concerns about political violence in the United States.
Charlie Kirk’s assassination latest case of conservatives being targeted for murder
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson believes the political left lacked sympathy after President Donald Trump was shot during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters)
The horrific assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk Wednesday is the latest entry in a grim and growing tally of conservative figures and institutions being targeted for violence, vandalism, and murder.
The fatal shooting follows a lengthy recent history of conservatives and Republicans facing violence, a Fox News Digital review of the last four years found, including two assassination attempts against President Donald Trump in a roughly two-month span in 2024.
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his “American Comeback Tour” when shots rang out and he collapsed on stage. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The 31-year-old husband and father was a staunch ally of President Donald Trump’s, and toured the nation promoting right-of-center ideology to youths, most notably on college campuses. He founded his conservative group more than a dozen years ago.
Read more about conservatives being targeted for murder.
This is an excerpt from a story by Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton.
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Controversy Amid Grief
The House floor became a battleground when Rep. Lauren Boebert requested a public prayer for Kirk, only to face Democratic objections. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s shout—“Y’all caused this”—and an expletive sparked chaos, forcing Speaker Mike Johnson to restore order. Conservative voices like Benny Johnson pointed to a pattern of attacks on right-wing figures, from Trump’s 2024 assassination attempts to the shooting of Steve Scalise. Fox News’ David Marcus wrote, “Progressive madness killed Charlie Kirk, a once-in-a-generation leader who engaged opponents in good faith.”
From the New York Yankees’ moment of silence to travelers weeping in airports, Kirk’s death has struck deep. Business leaders like Bill Ackman and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expressed horror, while sports figures like Brett Favre and Jake Paul offered prayers. As the FBI scours for answers, Kirk’s assassination looms as a crossroads: Will it spark a reckoning for civility, or plunge America deeper into division? For now, a nation grieves a voice silenced too soon, as Kirk’s legacy of fearless patriotism burns on.
