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Charlie Kirk died following a shooting at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. He was 31. The late right-wing activist and Donald Trump supporter was in the middle of his “American Comeback Tour” presentation at the school when shots were fired. The shooter was initially said to be in custody, but CNN later reported that no one was in police custody. Kirk was ultimately struck and taken away by his security team, but the president later confirmed that he was dead.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote in a statement via Truth Social. “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!”

The Republican followed up in a separate post, “In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 P.M.”

Charlie Kirk is one of the finest humans I know. Everyone please lift him and his family up in prayer.

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 10, 2025

Who Was Charlie Kirk?

A loyalist to Trump, Kirk had demonstrated his support for the president through the latter’s 2024 campaign. The 31-year-old was the founder of Turning Point USA: a nonprofit organization that advocates for conservatives on college campuses. He also hosted his radio talk show, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” on Salem Media’s “The Answer” channel.

Additionally, Kirk was a member of the United States Air Force Academy Board of Visitors, which “inquires into the morale, discipline, curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods and other matters relating to the Academy which the Board decides to consider.”

What Happened to Charlie Kirk? Shooting & His Death Explained

In the afternoon of September 10, Kirk was reportedly answering a question about transgender mass shooters in the United States. Shortly after Kirk alleged there’s been “too many” transgender mass shooters, shots were fired from a nearby campus building about 200 yards away, according to CNN.

From January 2013 to now, there have been more than 5,700 mass shootings in America, and five of those shooters were confirmed as transgender, founding executive director of the Gun Violence Archive, Mark Bryant, said, per CNN.

Kirk was visibly struck by one of the shots, and he was seen slumped in his seat before blood poured down his neck. He was hospitalized and died later that day.

Who Shot Charlie Kirk? Suspect Identity Updates

Initially, Utah Valley University claimed that a suspect was in custody, but officials later clarified during a press conference that the person was not the shooter. They added that the shooter is currently at large.”

At the time of publication, the shooter’s identity in Kirk’s death has not been publicly identified.

University Security Measures Called Into Question After Kirk’s Death

A witness told CNN that there were “no security measures” implemented at Kirk’s Utah Valley University event that day. There were allegedly no metal detectors nor bag-checking requirements, the witness told the outlet.