Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at Utah Valley University, authorities said.
Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.
No one was in custody Wednesday evening as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
The shooting comes amid a spike in attacks on political figures in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.
Here’s everything that happened on Sept. 10, 2025.
Thousands of people went to see Kirk speak
Authorities say about 3,000 people attended the Utah college event where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed.
The Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday evening that the event was held at an outdoor bowl courtyard on campus known as the university quad. It is a common spot for campus events.
Black Lives Matter affiliate calls on U.S. political leaders to ‘condemn all political violence’
“We cannot ignore the flames of political violence threatening society,” said Shalomyah Bowers, a leader of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc.
Charlie Kirk had maligned the Black Lives Matter movement at the heigh of a national reckoning on racism.
“We are committed to breaking the pattern of reactionary violence, moral relativism, and dehumanization — and urge everyone to resist calls for revenge,” Bowers said. “Vigilante justice has no place in a just society. Not on the left. Not on the right. Not in response to racism, and not in the name of righteousness. It must be rejected, always.”
Graphic video of Kirk shooting was everywhere online, showing how media gatekeeper role has changed
Traditional news organizations were cautious in their coverage of Kirk’s assassination not to depict the moment he was shot, instead showing video of him tossing a hat to his audience moments before, and panicked onlookers scattering wildly in the moments after.
In practical terms, though, it mattered little. Gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly across social media platforms, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Millions of people watched.
In the fragmented era of social media, smartphones and instant video uploads, editorial decisions by legacy media are less impactful than ever.
There can also be an important message sent by news outlets being cautious in what they show, Cornell University professor Sarah Kreps said. “It can be a signal for how things should be stigmatized, rather than validated or normalized.”
But on the day of the shooting in a politically polarized country, the easy availability of shocking images ran the risk of making society’s wound even more painful.
Trump condemns ‘demonizing’ of political opponents
Trump has condemned the “demonizing” of political opponents in the U.S. even as he claimed the rhetoric of the “radical left” was “directly responsible” for the assassination of Kirk.
Authorities have not named a suspect and no one is in custody for the killing.
In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday, Trump called Kirk “a martyr for truth and freedom.”
The Republican president faced two assassination attempts during last year’s campaign, and he was wounded in one.
In his remarks, Trump mentioned shootings of United Healthcare’s chief executive and Republican Rep. Steve Scalise. But he omitted any reference to attacks on Democrats, such as the killing of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman.
“Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” he said.
Vigil held at park in Omer, Utah
A few dozen people gathered, holding electric candles in the slanting afternoon light. Bible verses were read to the quiet onlookers.
A witness testified of what she observed: The crack of a gunshot, Kirk keeling over and then her run through campus.
‘We’ve got something to fight for’
Cari Bartholomew, state director of Utah Moms for America, said she had taken her 17-year-old son out of school so he could attend Kirk’s event. They were joined by other moms from the group and their kids.
Bartholomew’s son was in line waiting to ask a question when the gunshot rang out. Chaos ensued and she couldn’t find him as people ducked for cover and started running. She later learned her son was unharmed.
“All of us, we were trying to grab the little kids and getting them as near to us as possible,” she said.
She said some students were visibly distraught while others laughed, and said she’s concerned that people are being taught to hate others who have viewpoints different from their own.
Rather than fall into a place of fear, Bartholomew said she hopes people will be inspired to pick up where Kirk left off and continue to push for civil engagement.
“I hope that it gets people to steel their spines,” she said. “We’ve got something to fight for.”
Banner in Kirk’s memory installed outside Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix
“May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior,” the large banner reads alongside a photo of Kirk and the Turning Point logo.
No one is currently in custody, authorities say
Authorities are seeking a new person of interest in Kirk’s assassination, according to a law enforcement official.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.
The Utah Department of Public Safety has also confirmed no one is currently in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.
Alanna Durkin Richer, Lindsay Whitehurst and Zeke Miller, The Associated Press
UVU campus is clear
Utah Valley University said in a post on X that the campus is “all-clear.”
“There is NO ongoing threat to campus,” the post Wednesday evening said.
The university added that the campus will still be closed until Monday amid the ongoing investigation.
Status of search for shooter is unclear
It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone remained in custody or if the shooter was still at large as law enforcement provided evolving and difficult-to-reconcile information.
FBI Director Kash Patel, who earlier in the day posted on social media that a “subject” had been taken into custody, later wrote that the person had been released after being questioned.
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 https://t.co/YXsG6YpFR5
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 10, 2025
Utah authorities had separately said a person of interest was in custody, but it wasn’t immediately clear if that was the same person Patel referenced as having been released.
Police presence still heavy around shooting scene
Police helicopters still were circling over Orem in the early evening, and roadblocks caused congestion on the roads surrounding the Utah Valley University campus.
Armed officers walked around in small groups. Just off campus, a man stood on a street corner holding a sign that read “R.I.P. Charlie” and a parade of trucks drove through town flying American flags in his honor.
After Kirk’s killing, security measures heightened for 9/11 anniversary events in New York
New York City police say the killing in Utah is prompting added security for events in the city marking the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
U.S. Vice-President JD Vance is set to attend tomorrow’s memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site while President Donald Trump is scheduled to be at the night game pitting the Yankees against the Tigers.
Security around the 9/11 commemorations in New York is always comprehensive, with street closures, a large police presence and the Sept. 11 memorial plaza in Lower Manhattan closed to the public.
Officials didn’t detail exactly how security would be increased.
Moments before the shooting
Video shows Kirk had been taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member 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?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
Thousands turned out for Kirk’s appearance and police were also present
Jeff Long, chief of Utah Valley University Police Department, says six officers working at Kirk’s campus event and more than 3,000 people were in attendance.
The police chief says his officers coordinated their operation with Kirk’s security team, and plainclothes police officers were also present.
At the time he was shot, Kirk was speaking to the throng in a low area surrounded by campus buildings.
Long said law enforcement tries to get the “bases covered.” But he added, “unfortunately today we didn’t, and because of that we have this tragic incident.”
Students, meanwhile, told The Associated Press they saw no metal detectors or bag checks. The amount of security appeared consistent with other speaking engagements on Kirk’s national tour.
Suspect released, shooter still at large: FBI director
The suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk has been released after an interrogation with law enforcement, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
“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,” Patel said in a post on X.
Tammy Ibrahimpoor, CTV News producer
FBI appeals to the public for information about the shooting
The FBI’s Salt Lake City office has added an online form to its website where the public can report information about Kirk’s killing.
The form says the FBI is “seeking information regarding the shooting at Utah Valley University that took place on September 10, 2025.”
It asks the person submitting the form to include their name and contact information and then includes a section for information about the incident.
Donald Trump Jr. says Kirk wasn’t a threat to anyone
In a lengthy social media post, President Trump’s son says Kirk wasn’t just a friend, but was “like a little brother to me” and a “true inspiration.”
Trump Jr. said Kirk “changed the direction of this nation” because “there is no question that Charlie’s work and his voice helped my father win the presidency.”
He said Kirk was civil and kind, and listened and responded with respect.
“The only `threat’ he ever posed was that he was incredibly effective. He was a powerful messenger of truth, and people heard that truth. That’s what made him a target.”
Democrats in Congress mourn Kirk
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan appeared visibly upset while speaking to reporters on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. She said that she cried when she found out that Kirk had died.
“All of us have got to work together and deescalate the heat and the rhetoric in this country, she said. Dingell added: “And remember we’re Americans, and you can disagree in a way that doesn’t end in the horrible way today did.”
Rep. Jamie Raskin expressed condolences to Kirk’s family, adding, “What a nightmare this whole thing is.”
“It’s a very dark time with the political violence spiraling out of control and gun violence a threat to everybody,” Raskin continued.
Utah governor says Kirk’s death carries a tragic message for the state of the country
Gov. Spencer Cox said that Kirk had come to the Utah Valley University campus to represent his conservative views and debate. Targeting people for their ideas threatens the country’s “constitutional foundations,” he said.
“We just need every single person in this country to think about where we are and where we want to be,” he said. “I don’t care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.”
Cox said the first of the inalienable rights enshrined in the Declaration of Independence is “life, and today a life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to young children. He was also very much politically involved. And that’s why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people.”
President of the university where Kirk was killed calls his death tragic
Utah Valley University President Astrid Tuminez posted on X that the school is “shocked and saddened” by Kirk’s death.
She expressed her condolences to his family and said they are grieving with the many people from the school who saw the “unspeakable tragedy” unfold.
“We firmly believe that UVU is a place to share ideas and to debate openly and respectfully. Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here,” the statement said.
Kirk backers leave flowers at Turning Point headquarters
The flags outside Turning Point USA’s Phoenix headquarters have been lowered to half staff.
Bouquets of flowers delivered by well-wishers are piling up by the main door to one of at least three buildings that make up Turning Point’s campus. The organization’s presence has grown steadily in a quiet neighborhood at the base of South Mountain park.
Former President George W. Bush says violence must be `purged from the public square’
Bush lamented the killing and said “an open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct” on a college campus, where Kirk was shot.
In his statement, Bush added: “Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens.”
The Republican ex-president closed the statement by asking God to bless Kirk and his family and “guide America toward civility.”
Another former president, Democrat Bill Clinton, wrote on X that he was saddened and angered by the killing, adding he hoped “we all go through some serious introspection” and “redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully.”
I’m saddened and angered by Charlie Kirk’s murder. And I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully. Hillary and I are keeping Erika, their two young children, and their family in our prayers.
— Bill Clinton (@BillClinton) September 10, 2025