BREAKING: Charlie Kirk assassinated by "college age student" at Utah Valley University
Videos circulating on social media show a handcuffed suspect being escorted away by police.
Charlie Kirk was shot at around 1 p.m. local time at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah on Wednesday, Sept. 10. President Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social at 4:40 p.m.
Kirk was answering a question about how many recent mass shootings have been committed by transgender individuals when he was fatally shot in the neck, causing him to jerk backward and bleed profusely.
The moment was caught on video and has been going viral on X as those in the crowd share different angles of the violent act. Soon after the shooting, the university informed students that a suspect was in custody, though the assailant’s identity had not been disclosed.
Utah DPS Commissioner Beau Mason said in a live press release that the suspect “appears to be of college age” who “blended in well with the institution.” The shooter who is still unnamed, is believed to have fired once from a nearby roof in a targeted attack using an extremely accurate rifle, according to the Utah Department of Public Safety, who are leading the investigation along with the FBI. The gunman is said to have immediately fled the area and the weapon has been found in a “nearby wooded area.”
Video clips showing an older white man with graying hair bent on the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back were circulating social media, but it’s been confirmed that this is not the correct suspect.
Former U.S. Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event with his daughter, told Fox News what happened when Kirk was shot.
“Everyone hit the deck” and “scattered,” Chaffetz said, calling the violence “shocking.” He added, “The shot came straight at him,” noting that he had spoken with Kirk just before the event began.
A statement by Utah Valley University confirmed that “there was a single shot fired from the top of a nearby building about 200 yards away to the best of our knowledge he has been hit and a suspect is in custody.”
Kirk was on his American Comeback Tour conducting a question and answer session with students who’d gathered to watch him debate controversial topics. Kirk is known for his ‘Ask Me Anything’ sessions where audiences can pose unscripted questions on politics, culture, education, and current events, and he answers them in real time.
MSNBC just aired speculative statements that the shooting could have been related to “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.”
Campus Reform has previously covered the lack of empathy for conservative political figures who’ve been shot when a Rutgers professor said about the assassination attempt of President Donald Trump: “Let’s hope today’s events inspire others.”
In a statement on X, Vice President J.D. Vance wrote: “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.” Kirk is a father of two.
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
