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  • 5 months ago
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was shot Wednesday afternoon at Utah Valley University while speaking about gun and gang violence as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” Witnesses reported hearing a single loud shot before Kirk collapsed and was rushed away by his security team. Conflicting reports have emerged over a suspect, with early accounts pointing to an elderly man in custody, but university officials later said no one has been detained.

Turning Point USA initially confirmed the shooting, but the most significant update came from President Donald Trump, who announced on Truth Social that Kirk had passed away. Lawmakers from both parties quickly condemned the violence, with Utah Senator Mike Lee calling it “a cowardly act of violence.”

Kirk, who grew up in the Chicago suburbs and co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, leaves behind his wife, Erika, and their two children, as the nation reflects on his influence and the deep political divides in America.

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00:00Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was reportedly shot at
00:05Utah Valley University and now President Donald Trump says Kirk has passed away.
00:10Reports state the shooting happened Wednesday afternoon in the campus quad near the food court
00:14where the 31-year-old was speaking about gun and gang violence as a part of his American comeback
00:19tour. Witnesses reported hearing a single loud shot before seeing Kirk, who was rushed away by
00:24his security team, collapse. Initially, reports indicated police detained an elderly suspect
00:29with video of the alleged arrest circulating online. But other reports state the university
00:33says no one is in custody. And a source from AP News suggested the man being taken into custody in
00:39the video is not believed to be the shooter. The most recent update comes from President Trump,
00:43who posted on Truth Social, stating Kirk had passed away. Lawmakers from both parties had
00:48condemned the violence, calling it horrific and urging Americans to reject political violence.
00:53Utah Senator Mike Lee wrote on X,
00:55This murder was a cowardly act of violence, an attack on champions of freedom like Charlie,
01:00the students who gathered for civil debate, and all Americans who peacefully strive to save our
01:04nation. Charlie Kirk grew up in the Chicago suburbs and left college to pursue activism full-time.
01:10He later co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 with Bill Montgomery, a non-profit organization which
01:16grew into one of the most influential conservative youth movements in the country. Kirk's death marks a
01:21stunning and violent turn in American politics. And now both supporters and critics alike are
01:26reflecting on his influence and the deep division in the nation. Share your thoughts and follow us
01:30everywhere at What's Trending.
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