Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of United President Donald Trump, who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, was shot dead at a Utah college by a yet-to-be-identified shooter from a rooftop.
The 31-year-old father of two was addressing a large outdoor crowd at Utah Valley University (UVU) when he was shot in the neck.
Kirk was on a speaking tour, and his stop at UVU was the first of at least 15 scheduled events at universities around the country as part of his “American Comeback Tour”.
Before the shooting, he was seated at his “Prove Me Wrong” debating table, taking questions from an audience outdoors.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk was asked.
“Too many,” Kirk responded as the crowd clapped.
“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” To which Kirk replied, “Counting or not counting gang violence?”
Eyewitnesses said the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away to the courtyard where the event took place.
According to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety, some 3,000 people were in attendance, adding that the university police department had six officers working the event along with Kirk’s own security detail.
The death was announced on social media by Trump, who praised the 31-year-old Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA, as “Great, and even Legendary.”
Later , he released a recorded video from the White House in which he called Kirk a “martyr for truth and freedom” and blamed the rhetoric of the “radical left” for the killing.
Trump also ordered flags on government buildings, including the White House, to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday in an illustration of how important Kirk was in the 79-year-old Republican’s orbit.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear this is a political assassination,” Cox said.
So far, the U.S authorities is yet to identify a motive of the gunman but the circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the country.
Leaders across the country, including former Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, as well as Vice President Kamala Harris, were among those who condemned the killing of the father of two and extended their condolences to his family.
International figures who also expressed their sympathies include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, among others.
The U.S security agencies have as well launched a manhunt to arrest and prosecute the perpetrator. The FBI also established a digital line for the public to share tips.
