Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was assassinated during a university event in Utah. The 31-year-old commentator was speaking before a large crowd at Utah Valley University (UVU) when he was shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10.
The news of his tragic passing was shared by President Donald Trump himself. Taking to the social media, Trump, who called Kirk “a very, very good friend,” wrote, “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!”
Kirk frequently shared clips of debates with students on topics ranging from transgender identity and climate change to faith and family values oh his social media and his self-titled daily podcast.
His podcast began with a recording of Trump’s voice, “I want to thank Charlie, he’s an incredible guy, his spirit, his love of this country, he’s done an amazing job building one of the most powerful youth organisations ever created.”
Kirk’s friendship with President Trump grew after Trump won the elections, with Kirk attending the inauguration and visiting the White House regularly, the BBC reported.
At the time the tragedy unfolded, Kirk was responding to a question on gun violence.
“Do you know many transgender Americans have been shooters over the last 10 years?” the individual asked.
Kirk responded confidently, “Too many,” as the crowd erupted in applause.
The individual pushed back, claiming the figure was five, asking how many mass shooters there had been in the past decade.
Kirk’s response was, “Counting or not counting gang violence?” and according to the Daily Mail, those were his last words before a single shot rang out around 12:20 local time.
Panic swept through the audience as he collapsed in his chair, bleeding, while chaos spread across the venue. Authorities said he was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency care but died roughly 90 minutes later. He is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, their three-year-old daughter, and their 16-month-old son.
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Married in 2021 in a modest Arizona ceremony, the couple skipped the usual wedding traditions, grounding their union in faith. As Erika once wrote: “Slow down. It’s one day; yes it marks a new chapter of life. Yes, it symbolizes a special covenant between you, your husband and the Lord. But remember it’s the days afterward that matter more.”
Investigators believe the gunman acted independently, labeling the shooting a “political assassination” after they fired from the Losee Center roof, about 200 feet away.
Currently, no one is in custody.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated: “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”
Kirk was a vocal supporter of Trump and traditional values. He organized fiery debates on college campuses across the country during his American Comeback Tour. His presence, however, was not without controversy—at UVU, a petition against his visit collected over 7,000 signatures.
Crime and mass shootings were frequent themes in his speeches, always tied to his defense of the Second Amendment. Speaking at a Turning Point USA event in May 2023, he said: “We should have an honest and clear reductionist view of gun violence, but we should not have a utopian one. You will never live in a society where you have an armed citizenry and not a single gun death. That is nonsense, it’s drivel. But I think it’s worth it. I think it’s worth to have a cost of unfortunately some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God given rights.”
Tributes and condolences for the life lost came pouring in.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox shared his condolences, writing on X: “We are praying for Charlie’s wife, daughter, and son. We will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy.”
Vice President JD Vance added: “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.”
Former President Joe Biden said there is “no place in our country for this kind of violence,” while Barack Obama called the shooting a “despicable act,” adding that he and his family are praying for Charlie and his loved ones.
Among those reacting from Washington were Health Secretary RFK Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who both expressed sorrow over Kirk’s death.
In London, UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer offered condolences, declaring: “We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear.”
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called the killing an “atrocious murder” and “a deep wound for democracy,” while Argentina’s President Javier Milei remembered Kirk as “a formidable disseminator of the ideas of freedom and staunch defender of the West.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who once hosted Kirk on his podcast, added: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
To honor Kirk, President Trump ordered that flags across the U.S. be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening.
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