Charlie Kirk, a conservative political influencer and long-time ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at a Utah Valley University event in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old.
University officials said the incident involved a single gunshot and a person of interest was taken into custody hours after the shooting.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING | Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies in shooting at Utah Valley University, Trump says
Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a right-wing political nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school and college campuses across the U.S. — making him a major figure and voice within the young conservative movement, with millions of followers across his various social media platforms.
WATCH | Lawmakers react to the death of Charlie Kirk
Kirk often engaged in spirited and sometimes testy debates with people from different sides of the political aisle. He was recently invited as one of the first guests on California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's podcast, with the two discussing a wide range of political topics and their different views on the direction of the country.
He was also front-and-center at the inauguration of President Donald Trump earlier this year and has frequently appeared alongside Republican politicians at rallies and fundraising events.
Kirk's stop Wednesday at Utah Valley University was part of his "The American Comeback Tour," where he engaged students through political debates under tents branded with phrases like "Prove Me Wrong." Kirk's events attracted hundreds of attendees while his social media videos of interactions with participants have garnered tens of millions of views online.
The events, however, have been both widely attended and widely protested by people who disagreed with his takes on hot-button issues like abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration and the Black Lives Matter movement. Prior to Wednesday's shooting, Kirk was scheduled to host another event at Colorado State University next week.
He is survived by his wife, Erika, and two young children.
