It was a moment of dialogue that ended in bloodshed. On Wednesday afternoon, Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was seated at a table under a white tent on the campus of Utah Valley University, engaged in his signature “Prove Me Wrong” debate with students. Surrounded by his private security and local police, he was a little over 20 minutes into the event when the world changed.
At approximately 12:20 p.m. MDT, a single shot rang out. The bullet, fired from an elevated position on the roof of the university’s Losee Center, struck Kirk in the neck. Eyewitnesses described a chilling and chaotic scene. In videos that have since been widely circulated online, Kirk is seen clutching his neck as blood gushes from the wound, before he slumps in his chair. The crowd of approximately 3,000 attendees, which included his family, erupted in screams, with many ducking for cover or running in panic.
Within moments, Kirk’s security detail and staff members rushed him from the stage, placing him in a vehicle and transporting him to a local hospital. Despite their swift actions and the efforts of doctors, Kirk was pronounced dead.
The search for the killer began immediately. The campus was placed on lockdown as police and the FBI converged on the scene. Police confirmed a high-powered rifle was used, and later located a Mauser .30-caliber bolt-action rifle hidden in a towel in a wooded area near the campus, along with a spent cartridge and three additional rounds. Authorities have released photos of a “person of interest” and are offering a $100,000 reward for information. Two people were detained in the immediate aftermath, but were later released after it was determined they had no connection to the crime.
The shocking assassination has prompted a national conversation about political violence. It has also left a nation mourning a young, influential voice, and a university grappling with the reality of an attack that shattered its commitment to open discourse.