nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com

Mr. Kirk, a close ally of President Trump, was speaking in front of a large crowd when a shot rang out, according to video from the scene.

Here’s what to know

Charlie Kirk, the head of Turning Point USA, the nation’s pre-eminent right-wing youth activist organization, was shot in the neck on Wednesday while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.

Cellphone videos posted online showed people running from the event after a gunshot rang out. One video appeared to show Mr. Kirk’s head jerking back as blood poured from his neck. He had been delivering remarks while sitting under a tent with the slogan “The American Comeback” printed on it.

A university spokeswoman, Ellen Treanor, said that Mr. Kirk was struck about 20 minutes after he began speaking on campus. She said a suspect had fired at Mr. Kirk from the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away, and been taken into custody.

The suspect was not a student, she said.

  • Condition unknown: Ms. Treanor said Mr. Kirk’s security had taken him away after the shooting, and she did not have any information on his condition. Andrew Kolvet, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, confirmed that Mr. Kirk had been shot in the neck.

  • Trump comments: President Trump posted on social media in support of Mr. Kirk. “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” he wrote on Truth Social. “A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”

  • Close ally: Mr. Kirk, 31, has emerged in recent years one of the most influential young right-wing figures in the country, and established himself as a close ally of the president. Mr. Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 and has since become a fixture on college campuses, where he hosts rallies like the one in Utah, that often draw large crowds.

  • White House influence: Even though he is not part of the administration, Mr. Kirk’s influence in the White House is significant. Since the November election, he has helped vet prospective appointees, testing their loyalty to Mr. Trump.

EDIT:

The police have determined that a person who was taken into custody after the shooting was not actually the shooter, according to Scott Trotter, a university spokesman. The university had earlier said a suspect was in custody, and videos online showed an older man being detained by police officers.

EDIT 2:

Andrew Kolvet, Kirk’s spokesman, says Kirk is dead.

  • Commiunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    618·
    5 days ago

    Funny, deserved, but not very helpful just like all adventurism. Best case scenario realistically is for nothing to come out of it, worst case is Trump cracking down hard on leftists using this as pretext.

    Also I love how Newsom was on a speed dial to immediately condemn the murder, no balls to be consistent with the shitpost narrative he hired a staffer to do

      • Commiunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        62·
        5 days ago

        Yeah, it’s probably mandated too by the democratic party but it is a little strange to cry fascism at your main opposition then immediately go “violence bad do NOT do this” as soon as something bad happens to them.

    • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.caEnglish
      9·
      5 days ago

      they were going to crack down on leftists anyways. this doesn’t make a difference.

      • nanoswarm9k@lemmus.orgEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        If this doesn’t work, they’ll try with the next crisis. Backing down and complying are never the answer. I don’t know how to tell you this… but it’s the right time to DARVO. Shut up their whining. Deflate their muster.

        DARVO the shit out of republicans. Just don’t get so good you use it on your family on accident, of course. Like any impliment of severe conflict.

        Leftist goal is to thrive. Fascist goal is to kill until it’s alone. Do not think anything will change a fascist’s goals. Except maybe a lot of soup over time, but they aren’t setting the table to help us or themselves-- so let’s not get confused.

    • Horsey@lemmy.world
      3·
      5 days ago

      Newsom genuinely shouldn’t want the smoke from taunting this shooting. There’s nothing positive that would come out of him in any way showing positive reinforcement of the Kirk murder.

      • Commiunism@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        34·
        5 days ago

        Killing some milquetoast conservative grifter isn’t “waking up”, it won’t be some catalyst for “inspiring people to take up arms against oppression” either as that stuff only happens in fairy tales (see: Luigi). All adventurism does is kills some person who gets replaced by an identical cog in the machine, throws the perp’s life away and in some cases gets opportunistically used to allow even more oppression (see: Reichstag fire).

        Real change comes from organized, unified action and not from lone wolfism.

      • null@lemmy.nullspace.lolEnglish
        34·
        5 days ago

        What’s the strategy associated with this particular assassination that make it a necessary step in ending a dictatorship? What’s the next step?