Update: Conservative activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk died after being shot during a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old.
“All we know now is that when Charlie Kirk heard a shot fired from a nearby building about 20 minutes after his presentation, he hiked and was taken away from the property along with his security team,” a UVU spokesperson told CNBC.
Social media videos show Kirk, 31, talking to a large group of students outdoors as gunshots are heard in the distance and is visibly affected while Kirk speaks under his tent. The event is part of his latest speaking tour, during which Kirk will discuss students on campus.
President Trump asked his true social followers to pray for Kirk, saying, “We all have to pray for Charlie Kirk, who was shot. A wonderful man from top to bottom. God bless him!”
Vice President J.D. Vice President Vance wrote to X:
Kirk is the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and CEO of Turning Point Action, a political advocacy group. He has been one of the most outspoken activists of Trump and the Republican Party in recent years. He also sparked controversy online to support conspiracy theory. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kirk spread anti-vaccine misinformation while supporting the Trump administration’s response. He supported Trump’s declined voter fraud accusations during the 2020 election. Throughout his arguments, Kirk has opposed gun control, climate change, DEI policy, critical racial theory, gay marriage, and gender-affirming care. He continues to be a supporter of the Israeli voice amid the ongoing conflict with Gaza.
