US President Donald Trump has said that the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is conducting a “virtual manhunt” for the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He was shot and killed during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. The 31-year-old was struck by a single rifle round while speaking on stage to hundreds of students.
The suspected gunman fired from a rooftop on the campus in Orem before fleeing the scene. He was recorded on multiple videos, with the FBI describing him as a male of “college age” but refusing to release any more details regarding his appearance until he is caught.
The agency has released images of a “person of interest” in the assassination, asking the public for help in identifying him and posted a $100,000 bounty for information leading to the capture of the perpetrator.
Kirk, founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was widely known for his campus debates with progressive students and for his close alliance with President Donald Trump.
The US president has described Kirk as a “martyr for truth” and called his murder a “dark moment for America.”
The activist’s death has triggered a wave of reactions, with Democrats condemning “political violence” and Republicans, including Trump, blaming what they describe as hostile rhetoric from the “radical left.”
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11 September 2025
Charlie Kirk was “provocative and confrontational,” yet willing to speak to people “he disagreed with,” embattled English comedian Russell Brand has said, suggesting the late activist’s attitude in part “led to his murder.” Kirk hosted Brand, who is facing numerous sexual misconduct and rape charges, on his show early in August.
The FBI has announced a reward of up to $100,000 for “information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.” The agency has set up a dedicated webpage for the public to share video materials and images related to the assassination.
The FBI in Salt Lake City has released images of a “person of interest” in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, urging the public to help with identification. The pictures show a slim man wearing a baseball cap, dark shades, and a black long sleeve shirt with an American flag artwork print.
US Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau has warned that foreigners “praising, rationalizing, or making light of” Charlie Kirk’s murder will face “appropriate action,” which could include visa revocations.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau said in a post on X, calling on users to bring such comments to the US State Department’s attention.
The Charlie Kirk shooter allegedly engraved transgender and anti-fascist slogans on the bullet cartridges he used to kill the activist, American influencer Steven Crowder has reported citing an internal communication from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
It was previously confirmed by the FBI that investigators had found the rifle believed to have been used in the assassination. According to the ATF message, the rifle was an imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action.
“The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” the internal message read.
Commotion broke out in the European Parliament on Thursday after right-wing parties were prevented from holding a minute of silence for Kirk.
Politico reports that EP president Roberta Metsola rejected a request from MP Charlie Weimers to hold the symbolic gesture, with her office suggesting it could only be done in October.
During his statement before a voting session on Thursday, Weimers tried to yield his time for a silent tribute to the American activist, but the Parliament vice president interrupted it, sparking outcry from right-wing MEPs who banged their desks and shouted.
US President Donald Trump has announced that Charlie Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He has not provided an exact date for when the award ceremony will be held, but said he expects a “very big crowd.”
FBI special agent Robert Bohls said investigators have images of the shooter but cannot comment specifically on his face. He added that it’s unclear “how far he has gone yet,” but noted that the the FBI doesn’t believe the community to be at risk.
Investigators have obtained additional evidence that could help track down Charlie Kirk’s killer, including a palm imprint, a forearm imprint and a footwear impression, said Robert Bohls, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office.
Kirk’s assassin is believed to be “of college age,” the commissioner of Utah’s Department of Public Safety, Beau Mason, has said. “We are confident in our abilities to track that individual,” he insisted at a news conference on Thursday.
The FBI has said Kirk’s murderer used a high-powered bolt-action rifle which was later found in a “wooded area” where the shooter fled to after the attack. Officials say police are still working to identify the shooter, who jumped off a roof and fled the area after firing the shot.
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has condemned Kirk’s assassination as an act of terrorism, saying the killer tried to use violence to silence the activist and intimidate others who share his ideas. She drew a parallel between the assassin and Islamist extremists, arguing both resort to violence out of fear that their arguments cannot withstand open debate.
She also denounced the “propaganda media” for their reaction to the murder, saying outlets like MSNBC quickly implied Kirk “brought it upon himself.” Gabbard compared this to the way terrorists justified the 9/11 attacks and noted similar rhetoric was used after attempts on President Donald Trump’s life, framing it as an effort to scare Americans into silence.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk indicates that the issue of political violence in the US has “risen to full growth,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. She also recalled the attempts on US President Donald Trump’s life and past murders of American leaders.
“This is a problem that America will have to somehow deal with,” Zakharova said. She claimed that the fact that the suspect in Kirk’s assassination has yet to be found indicates that “this murder was planned.”
Charlie Kirk’s assassin is “just a professional killer” and the real issue is identifying who actually ordered the hit, Russian philosopher and political scientist Aleksandr Dugin has said on X.
He dismissed suggestions that the murderer was just a “motivated person” angry at Kirk, noting that he couldn’t have “technically” conducted such a complicated operation and that “real military structures” were likely involved.
Dugin has pinned the blame for Kirk’s death on the US Democratic party, writing that “when Democrats lose elections they couldn’t steal, they murder the people they were unable to defeat.”
He added that he has personally also suffered from “the same hand,” apparently referring to the murder of his daughter Daria Dugina – a Russian journalist who was killed in a car bombing in August 2022
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has expressed his condolences to Charlie Kirk’s family and claimed that his death was the result of an “international hate campaign waged by the progressive-liberal left.”
Social media users have blamed the cartoon South Park for instigating Charlie Kirk’s assassination. They point to an August 6 episode called ‘Got a Nut’ featuring Eric Cartman playing a parody of the late activist and making fun of Kirk’s religious beliefs and political opinions, calling him a “masterdebater.”
“South Park certainly fomented the hatred necessary to get Kirk assassinated,” one user wrote.
Kirk himself reacted humorously to the episode when it came out, calling it “hilarious” and stressing that conservatives have “a good spirit about being made fun of” and have a “thick skin.”
A video has circulated online of a man stealing Charlie Kirk’s merchandise from his podium at the Utah Valley University campus. The moment seems to take place some time after Kirk was killed as police were ordering everyone to leave the venue.
Charlie Kirk has become “yet another victim of liberal fascism,” Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili has said in a post on X, commenting on Wednesday’s assassination of the American activist.
Kavelashvili condemned the “cynical comments” being made by the “followers of pseudo-liberal ideology” in response to the incident and said that anyone who incites violence, persecutes those with different opinions and seeks to impose a “forced, ugly ideology” should be considered an accomplice in Kirk’s murder.
Several social media users have asked FBI Director Kash Patel to look into two men who were standing to the side of Charlie Kirk during his assassination, claiming they may have been involved in the shooting.
Users have been sharing a clip focusing on a man in a white cap and white shirt filming Kirk during the event. Moments before Kirk was shot, the man tilted his cap and appeared to tug his ear, with some speculating this could have been some sort of signal to the shooter.
At the same time, a man in a black t-shirt, who appears to be Kirk’s personal bodyguard, can be seen cocking his arm and fixing his sleeve.
Other commenters have dismissed the speculation as a conspiracy theory.
TIME magazine has published a new cover in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder with the caption “Enough” and calling for an end to political violence in the US. The outlet raised the concern that Kirk’s assassination could become a “catalyst” that “radicalizes even more Americans.”
The post has drawn a backlash from Kirk’s supporters, who have accused TIME of failing to acknowledge that the “violence” is only coming from one side of the political spectrum. Some claimed the outlet was complicit in the incident for pushing divisive rhetoric.
The attacker targeted only one person - Charlie Kirk, according to Beau Mason, the commissioner of the Utah State Department of Public Safety.
Following the on-campus shooting of Charlie Kirk, Utah Valley University has announced it will not reopen until Monday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has asked to join in prayer for Charlie Kirk.
The FBI, working with Utah authorities, is investigating the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk and has asked the public to share any photos, videos, or information through an online form.
World leaders have reacted to the killing of Charlie Kirk, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring, “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel … his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer denounced “all forms of political violence,” saying he was “thinking of the loved ones of Charlie Kirk” and warning that families should never “live in fear when public debate is involved,” while UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper called it “deeply shocking” and stressed that “political violence has no place in our societies.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the shooting as “an atrocious murder, a deep wound for democracy and for those who believe in freedom.”
Former US President Barack Obama has condemned the killing of Charlie Kirk, saying, “This kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy."
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has condemned the attack on Charlie Kirk, calling political violence unacceptable.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has condemned the shooting of Kirk, calling for an end to political violence. As a mark of respect, Shapiro ordered all United States and Commonwealth flags across Pennsylvania to be lowered to half-staff.
US Second Lady Usha Vance has expressed heartbreak over the death of Charlie Kirk.
A candlelight vigil is being held at Idaho State Capitol for Charlie Kirk, as supporters sing ‘God Bless America’ following Kirk’s assassination.
Investigative journalist Ben Swann has linked the attack on Kirk to a wider climate of hostility in US politics, warning that public discourse has become dangerously dehumanizing.
Comparing it to the attempt on Donald Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania last year, Swann said such violence sends a “chilling message” and reflects ideologies desperate to retain influence. Calling the shooting “absolutely horrific” and “evil,” Swann stressed that it was more than a personal attack.
“It’s an attack on everything that he has grown and helped to build in this country,” he said, arguing that Kirk was targeted not for being controversial but because “he’s been so unbelievably successful at motivating young people.”
“The last thing you do is silence Charlie Kirk by shooting Charlie Kirk,” former US Marine Corps intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter has told RT, condemning the killing as a grave threat to America’s tradition of open debate. Citing death threats he has personally received, Ritter described today’s climate as “a poisonous environment” where controversial figures require security simply to speak.
“Ostensibly, we have free speech. I mean, nobody denied Charlie Kirk the opportunity to speak. They just murdered him because he chose to speak publicly,” Ritter said. “The second people become intimidated by the consequences of their speech, not the ideological consequences, but the physical consequences of their speech, that has a chilling effect on it.”
Another video circulating on social media shows the moments leading up to Kirk’s shooting from a different angle, with an attendee asking him: “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last ten years?”
Kirk responded, “Too many,” as the crowd applauded. The person then followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last ten years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk replied, just before a gunshot rang out and struck him in the neck. Kirk could be seen falling back in his chair as hundreds of people ran away in panic.
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RT contributor and former US Senate aide Tara Reade has warned that the “shocking political violence in America right now is really frightening,” as she reacted to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Reade said Kirk’s death marked “a huge loss for everyone in America and in the world.”
She also criticized what she described as dismissive reactions in the liberal media, singling out MSNBC for “saying that somehow he brought this on himself.”
Reade praised Kirk as a “really good man” who “gave a forum for young people to actually debate in a peaceful way.” She stressed that he was “very educated” and “genuine,” noting that he was the same person “whether the mic [was] on or off.”
Investigators said the shooting was a targeted attack. The gunman is believed to have fired from the roof of a campus building overlooking the student courtyard where Kirk was speaking. UVU police said six officers were stationed at the event, in addition to Kirk’s personal security team. About 3,000 people were in attendance at the outdoor quad when the single fatal shot was fired.
Several videos circulating on social media appear to show a person on the roof of a building at the Utah Valley University campus, where Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. The individual who filmed one of the clips told the New York Times that he began recording moments before the shooting, with the footage showing people taking cover.
Another video appeared to show a person dressed in dark clothing lying on the roof.
Law enforcement agencies have said that multiple crime scenes are under investigation. The Utah State Crime Lab and local law enforcement are analyzing the area where Kirk was struck, as well as other sites linked to the movement of both the victim and the suspect. Authorities have asked the public to submit any information through an FBI tip line.
The FBI has officially confirmed that neither of the two people taken into custody earlier in the day had any connection to the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk. One man, George Zinn, was charged with obstruction by university police after the shooting, while a second, Zachariah Qureshi, was questioned and released.
“There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals. There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter,” the FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety said in a joint statement.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted a tribute to Charlie Kirk, calling him “our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech.”
“Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country,” Kennedy wrote on X.
Kennedy’s statement carried a personal weight given his own family history – his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, and his father, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, were both assassinated in the 1960s.
In honor of the “truly Great American Patriot,” President Trump has ordered all American flags across the United States to be flown at half-mast until Sunday.
First Lady Melania Trump called for “compassionate awareness,” mourning on behalf of Charlie Kirk’s two young children.
President Donald Trump has vowed to pursue not only the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk but also those he accused of funding and fueling “radical left” political violence across the United States.
In a video statement posted Wednesday night on Truth Social, Trump described Kirk, 31, as a “patriot” and a “martyr for truth and freedom,” praising him for inspiring young Americans through debates on college campuses nationwide.
The president linked Kirk’s murder to what he called years of left-wing demonization of conservatives, warning that “violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year.” He promised to use the full weight of his administration to investigate not only perpetrators but also “the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”
Officials have provided conflicting reports on whether the suspected gunman is still on the loose. A law enforcement source told AP that authorities are seeking a new person of interest after the FBI confirmed that the only “subject” in Kirk’s assassination had been released after questioning. The Utah Department of Public Safety has also stated that no one is currently in custody.
READ MORE: ‘Subject’ of interest in Charlie Kirk shooting released after questioning – FBI
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler has apologized after political analysts Matthew Dowd speculated live on air that the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk could have been the result of “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.”
Dowd described Kirk as “one of the most divisive younger figures,” adding: “Hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions. And I think that is the environment we are in… You can’t stop with these sort of awful thoughts you have and then saying these awful words and not expect awful actions to take place.”
FBI Director Kash Patel has announced that a person briefly detained as a “subject” of interest in the shooting has now been released after interrogation, suggesting that the gunman remains at large.
“Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in the interest of transparency,” Patel said.
10 September 2025
Former President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and other Democratic leaders released similar boilerplate statements condemning “political violence” and calling for unity.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tied the tragedy to broader concerns about “gun violence,” while Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez described it as part of the “scourge of political and gun violence that must end.”
Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused Democrats and the media of fostering a climate of hate.
“The Left is the party of murder,” he wrote on X. Musk also endorsed comments by political commentator Mike Cernovich blaming donors such as George Soros, Bill Gates, and Reid Hoffman for enabling left-wing extremism.
Musk himself has previously been targeted by radical protesters, and a recent poll found 55% of left-leaning respondents considered violence against him “somewhat justified.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described Kirk’s death as a “tragic day for our nation.” He said Kirk was “first and foremost a dad to two young children” and praised him for fostering debate on campuses. Cox also confirmed investigators believe the killing was a targeted attack.
The FBI has announced the arrest of the suspect in the fatal shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
“The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with the FBI,” agency director Kash Patel said in a post on X Wednesday evening.
Charlie Kirk has succumbed to his wounds, US President Donald Trump has announced, extending condolences to his wife and children.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Commenting on the shooting in Utah, Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev hailed Kirk for his calls for dialogue with Moscow.
“The attempt on the life of a person advocating common sense and opposing hysteria highlights the depth of the rift in the US,” the Russian official wrote on his Telegram channel
Kirk is a co-founder of Turning Point USA in 2012 – an organization that describes itself as a “national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.” He rose to prominence through his debates with liberal and progressive students. He has emerged as a vocal critic of ‘woke’ policies, and also denounced US support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.
The gunfire erupted as Kirk was answering audience questions from a tented stage, sending hundreds of spectators fleeing in panic, according to videos of the scene.
In a post on X, Utah Valley University later confirmed that “today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk.”
“He was hit and taken from the location by his security,” the statement read, adding that the “suspect is in custody.”
Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative influencer and executive director of the non-profit organization Turning Point USA, was shot during a public event at Utah Valley University. The incident occurred at Kirk’s ‘Prove Me Wrong’ booth, with witnesses and video footage indicating he was shot in the neck.