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by DYLAN NOLAN
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Political activist Charlie Kirk, founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA and a prominent ally of U.S. president Donald Trump, was shot in the neck and killed this afternoon (September 10, 2025) during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Trump reported that Kirk was fatally wounded while authorities offered conflicting reports on whether they had apprehended Kirk’s killer.
As of this writing, Kirk’s murderer remains at large.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday evening. “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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
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This is horrific.
— Gregg ?? ?? (@realgreggd) September 10, 2025
Pray for Charlie Kirk pic.twitter.com/mQK58jIxul
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Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley as Turning Point launched its ‘American Comeback‘ college campus tour with a debate and speaking engagement. While the event was well-attended, it was not sponsored by the school – and an online petition to ban his appearance on campus was reportedly signed by 1,000 people.
Several threats against Kirk in advance of his appearance have also been reported.
Kirk posted photos and videos of himself interacting with attendees on social media shortly before addressing the crowd.
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Videos taken from multiple angles and uploaded to social media showed a single shot striking Kirk in the neck, resulting in the rapid loss of a large volume of blood.
Video uploaded to social media shows students on campus running away from the sound of gunfire.
Wall Street Journal reporter Meridth McGraw wrote Kirk was “going back and forth with a student about mass shootings involving transgender people,” at the time he was shot.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk was asked.
“Too many,” Kirk responded.
That’s when the fatal shot rang out…
University officials initially released a social media post indicating the capture of a suspect and the closure of campus.
“Today at about 12:10 (p.m.) a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk,” the statement noted. “He was hit and taken from the location by his security. Campus police is investigating, a suspect is in custody.”
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Local law enforcement officials later noted in a press conference that “we did have a suspect in custody,” but the individual was “was released from custody after we identified that he did not match the shooting suspect and was not an accurate person of interest.”
The suspect was later booked on “an obstruction of justice charge,” police noted, adding “we do still have an active investigation for the person of interest.”
FBI director Kash Patel stated that another individual who had been taken into custody earlier in the day for interrogation had also been released.
“Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency,” Patel wrote in an X post.
“I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this, we will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Utah governor Spencer Cox said at the press conference.
Cox went on to clarify that an additional individual is in custody in connection with the shooting, but declined to comment further on their identity. Officials also declined to provide specific details concerning the shooting, noting a tipline would soon be set-up for witnesses to submit informaiton.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting talking heads on MSNBC wildly speculated that Kirk could have been shot by “a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.”
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MSNBC just speculated the Charlie Kirk shooting could have “been a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration.”
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) September 10, 2025
I have no words for how awful these people are. pic.twitter.com/g6o9KGuaHp
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In an evening oval office address Trump promised to “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it.”
“From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a healthcare executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others – radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump said.
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? BREAKING: President Trump from the Oval Office has just addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk and declared he will go after those who perpetrate political violence.
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 11, 2025
"My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other… pic.twitter.com/Ym0a8iymTL
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“His legacy will live on for countless generations to come,” Trump said that because off his assassination, Kirk’s “voice has become bigger and grander than ever before – and it’s not even close.”
“May God bless his memory. May God watch over his family,” Trump said.
Count on FITSNews for further coverage as this story develops.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR…
(Via: Travis Bell)
Dylan Nolan is the director of special projects at FITSNews. He graduated from the Darla Moore school of business in 2021 with an accounting degree. Got a tip or story idea for Dylan? Email him here. You can also engage him socially @DNolan2000.
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16 comments
A very sad day, to be sure. There is NO PLACE for such violence in this country in any venue, at any time. I pray for Mr. Kirk’s family – his wife and 2 young children.
What were his comments on the attacker of Nancy Pelosi’s husband again? Something about that guy being a patriot that should be bailed out?
Welp.
Maga is at fault 100%. When all you can do is spew hateful rhetoric and crap on anybody that is not like you this is what you get. FAFO.
Thank you for your highly intellectual contribution.
FAFO
‘MURICA
So what’s next? Some will say if you take out one of ours we’ll take out two of yours. Or hit them with a bigger hammer… that’ll show them. You know there are some equally mentally deranged people out there who just got triggered into viewing this public assassination as all out war. Timothy McVeigh and the Unibomber come to mind. For speakers of any kind, I’d suggest limiting your rally’s to indoor venues only. It’ll be interesting to see the response to this.
He took advantage of the political situation and made a lot of money from it and fame. The guy was brutally killed in front if his wife kids and fans.
How is it up for discussion about which side, or some win, or even gun violence?This was a calculated attack from a long range rifle, how would any reform on gun violence stop the hit put on him from someone with resources?
This was a message and I guarantee it will be addressed. Its sad to see this even happening in our country.
Nobody deserves to die, but sadly this will get more attention than the dozens of students who have been victims of school shootings this year alone, kids who likely would have led more productive lives than Kirk did and who merited only a lame “thoughts and prayers” from the law and order politicians and have been conveniently forgotten.
Ordering flags to be flown half staff for him is an insult to those who rightly deserve such an honor, as was giving Ashli Babbitt military funeral honors. There is no decency left in this country.
Ashli babbitt? She was a veteran, you can request funeral honors and its usually service members come pay respect, fold a flag and present it to the family from their armed service. Ive done a handful of them. Normally they’re private affairs for those in attendance to the funeral.
how was that offensive?
She was a traitor to her country.
If you watch the numerous online posts of Charlie Kirk’s interactions with students across the country, one notices how much he strived to engage in polite, thoughtful debate grounded in facts and logic. Despite being on the receiving end of countless personal insults and mindless demagoguery, he consistently – if not always refrained from hurling personal invective at the people who came forward to debate him. The problem for the hard left was that he was very effective, and turned the tide of many young people away from the mental poisons of marxisim, anarchy, atheism, and general hedonism. The left could not defeat him on the debate stage, so their leaders riled up their crazies with outlandish hyperbole and aimed them like a weapon at Charlie. But his murder is not going to diminish or quench the movement of the youth towards conservatism and Christianity. It reminds me of how the Roman empire in the first 300 years after Christ rounded up Christians and burned them, crucified them, and fed them to lions before the masses, which only resulted in tens of thousands, and then millions, converting to Christianity after witnessing the courage and devotion of those who were not afraid to face death rather than cower away and deny their faith. In the end, the Roman empire would be overcome by the grassroots movement of the people shifting away from paganism and towards Christianity.
“If you watch the numerous online posts of Charlie Kirk’s interactions with students across the country, one notices how much he strived to engage in polite, thoughtful debate grounded in facts and logic.”
My brother in Christ, his final words on this mortal plane was a racist dog whistle.
The time has come. Gloves off.
he had it coming lets be ohnest
Release the Epstein files like Trump promised