One video, which this masthead has chosen not to publish because it is too graphic, showed Kirk physically recoiling after being struck, and blood streaming from his neck.
Witness Justin Hickens, told NBC News: “We heard a big loud shot, I saw a bunch of blood come out of Charlie, I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp, and everybody dropped to the ground.”
A man who was arrested in the immediate aftermath of the shooting was charged with obstruction of justice, but was not involved in the shooting.
The crowd reacts after Kirk is shot.Credit: AP
Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence, AP reported.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience members asked. Kirk responded: “Too many.”
The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
Law enforcement tape off an area after the shooting.Credit: AP
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
FBI director Kash Patel said his agency had sent agents to the scene. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected,” he said.
“Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Charlie Kirk during a Generation Next White House forum in Washington in 2018.Credit: AP
In a further post to Truth Social, Trump said he had ordered “all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.”
The flag on the North Lawn of the White House has already been lowered, and a presidential dinner scheduled for tonight has been cancelled.
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Vice President J.D. Vance, Attorney-General Pam Bondi, Utah senator Mike Lee and many other politicians called on followers to pray for Kirk. Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives Mike Schultz said violence was unacceptable and had no place in the nation’s politics.
“No disagreement, no matter how deep, justifies an attack like this. What happened is wrong, it is dangerous, and it cannot be tolerated,” he said. “My prayers are with Charlie, his family, and all those affected during this difficult time. We cannot allow hatred and violence to define who we are. We are better than this.”
Former President Joe Biden wrote on X that he and his wife Jill were “praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones”.
“There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now,” he said.
In a similar message, former vice president and democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris said she was “deeply disturbed by the shooting”.
“Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
Kirk, 31, founded the conservative political advocacy group Turning Point USA, as well as a political action committee by the same name. He is an evangelical Christian, and the group conducts a lot of its work with Christian communities and students on campus.
Posting a statement to X, a Turning Point USA spokesperson said Kirk had been “murdered by a gunshot”, requesting privacy and dignity for Kirk’s family.
Utah Valley University describes itself as the largest public university in Utah. The campus where Kirk was shot was located in Orem, just south of Salt Lake City.
The event was part of Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour” of college campuses, headlined by Kirk. It featured the “Prove Me Wrong Table”, where audience members were invited to debate Kirk in a public setting.
The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue”.
On September 3, Kirk posted screenshots of a series of headlines about the controversy to X, along with the caption: “What is going on in Utah?”
The university said its campus had been closed and all classes were cancelled until further notice. Students were told to leave campus immediately and follow police instructions.
During last year’s election, Kirk appeared with Trump at various rallies, and the Trump campaign outsourced a significant amount of its voter turnout work to Turning Point Action and other groups, rather than using the Republican National Committee.
Kirk speaking during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last year.Credit: Bloomberg
As the news of Kirk’s death circulated, another shooting in the neighbouring state of Colorado was unfolding.
Three teens, all believed to be students, are in a critical condition after a shooting at a suburban Denver high school.
The shooting took place at the Evergreen High School about 50km west of Denver around midday on Wednesday local time.
More to come
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