Our Knowledge of Deadly Shooting by Conservative American Activists

Charlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at an event at the University of Utah.

It is still unclear about the incident, but that’s what we know.

Kirk, 31, was invited to Utah Valley University (UVU) and sat under a white gazebo in the four Quad’s about 3,000 people – an outdoor bowl courtyard.

According to witnesses and videos taken on the scene, he was answering questions about gun violence when a shot rang out around 12:20 local time.

Kirk can be seen backing in the chair, blood on his neck before the fearful crowd began running.

“I heard a loud shot, a loud bang, and then I actually saw his body – slow motion – falling off,” one witness told reporters.

“We all fell on the ground, and I would say we sat like this for about 30 to 45 seconds, and then everyone around us got up and started running,” said Emma Pitts, a reporter for the live Escape News.

Kirk was taken to the hospital by a private car – Trump confirmed his death a few hours later.

Authorities chased the shooter and the university campus was evacuated.

Kirk’s wife and two children were on campus at the time, but were safe. No one was injured.

Authorities say it was an assassination-but we don’t know who shot Kirk, or why.

The two were arrested a few hours after the incident and were later released. Utah officials said they have no “current connection” to the fatal incident.

“The shooting remains an active investigation,” the Public Safety Department, which covers the state’s law enforcement, said in its latest update.

A large-scale hunt for shooters is underway. Regan Morris of the BBC said on campus that it had been locked down and that armed men had gone door to door.

Law enforcement officers said the killer was believed to have opened a fatal shooting from the roof of a building near the courtyard where Kirk spoke. They said they were studying CCTV in college and believed the suspect was “wearing dark clothes.”

The BBC’s verification has been checking videos posted on social media, which people claim could have shown “shooters” on the roof of university buildings after the attack.

We enlarged the image, but the quality was too poor to determine the dark shape of the image.

Using the feature of the displayed building, we identified it as the Losee Center of UVU, a campus spokesman said that this is the source of the shooting.

The video was posted on X after the shooting. We can’t verify when it was filmed.

Kirk is one of the most eye-catching conservative activists and media figures in the United States and a trusted ally of President Trump. He was a guest at the inauguration and a regular visitor to the White House.

He was an 18-year-old in 2012 and co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a student organization designed to spread conservative ideals to liberal American universities.

He is known for holding open-air debates on campuses around the country, with signature “change my status” style sketching questions – like he did on Wednesday when he was shot.

His social media and daily podcasts often share clips of him debate on issues such as gun rights, climate change, beliefs and family values.

However, he has drawn criticism for promoting controversial and sometimes conspiring beliefs. CBS, the BBC’s news partner, said he spread anti-perverts’ views and doubts about the 19009 pandemic. He also publicly made false claims that the 2020 election was stolen by Trump.

Others believe Kirk is a champion of freedom of speech, and he has been praised for convincing young voters to play a key role for Trump in last year’s election and has been valued by the administration for his keen understanding of grassroots magazine movements.

In the United States, sadness and anger throughout the political field have shocked people.

“The great, even legendary Charlie Kirk is dead. No one understands or has the heart of youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump said in a statement about truth socialization.

“He is loved and admired by all.” The president added, “and ordered all flags to be hung on half of the masts of the country.

All the living US presidents also expressed their condolences. Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden said “there is no place for this violence in our country”, while Barack Obama called the shooting a “slutty move” and said his family was praying for Kirk’s loved ones.

Similarly, a series of White House officials expressed their grief—including Health Secretary RFK JR and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Democratic lawmakers who are both targeting political violence, Nancy Pelosi and Gabrielle Giffords also issued statements declining the shooting.

“There will always be political differences in democratic societies, but we must never allow the United States to be a country facing violent differences,” Giffords said.

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer responded similarly. “We all have to be free to debate, freely,” he said in a statement expressing sympathy.

Italian Prime Minister Girogia Meloni said the “brutal murder” was “a profound harm to democracy”, while Argentine President Javier Milei paid tribute to Kirk, a “strong communicator to defenders of Western freedom and firm defenders.”