Charlie Kirk, an influential right-wing activist and a detailed ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot lifeless whereas talking at an occasion at a college in Utah.
Here’s what we all know.
What occurred?
Kirk, 31, was talking at Utah Valley College in Orem on 10 September, 2025 as a part of his “American Comeback” tour.
He sat underneath a white gazebo to take questions from a crowd of about 3,000 within the college’s “quad”, an outside courtyard.
At about 12:20, he’s requested by a member of the gang: “Have you learnt what number of transgender People have been mass shooters during the last 10 years?”
He replies: “Too many.”
The questioner then states there had been 5 in 10 years and asks Kirk what number of mass shootings there had been in that point.
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk replies.
Then a single shot is heard, which is believed to have been fired from the roof of the Losee Heart, a constructing overlooking the quad.
Kirk then slumps in his chair with a clearly seen wound to his neck. He’s bleeding profusely as his workers get him off stage.
The crowds across the tent then start to flee, and screams might be heard.
What do we all know concerning the suspect?
No-one has to date been caught.
On Thursday, the Salt Lake Metropolis workplace of the FBI launched two images of a “particular person of curiosity” and requested for assist figuring out him.
At a press convention hours earlier, FBI particular agent Robert Bohls mentioned {that a} high-powered, bolt-action rifle had been present in a wooded space close to to the college.
An imported Mauser .30-06 bolt motion rifle, it was discovered wrapped in a towel.
A “footwear impression”, a palm print and forearm imprints have been additionally found.
Beau Mason, Utah’s public security commissioner, mentioned the gunman seemed to be of “faculty age”, and had blended in properly with different college students.
They mentioned “good video footage” confirmed a suspect leaping from a roof after the capturing and fleeing the campus.
This seems to be supported by movies launched within the public area.
BBC Confirm has examined one which is believed present a determine on the roof of a college constructing.
It’s exhausting to find out what the darkish form pictured in it could be. Nevertheless, the constructing might be recognized because the Losee Heart – roughly 130m (142 yards) from the place Kirk was sitting.
Footage taken from an workplace behind Kirk’s gazebo seems to point out somebody working throughout the roof of the Losee Heart after the capturing.
Within the hours afterwards, witnesses described what that they had seen.
“I heard a loud shot, a loud bang after which I noticed his physique truly – in gradual movement – sort of fall over,” one witness mentioned.
“All of us dropped to the bottom, and I wish to say we sat like that for about 30 to 45 seconds, after which everybody round us received up and began working,” mentioned Emma Pitts, a reporter from Deseret Information.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Kirk was one of the high-profile right-wing activists and media personalities within the US. He was a trusted ally of Trump, attended his inauguration and frequently visited the White Home.
As an 18-year-old in 2012, he co-founded Turning Level USA (TPUSA), a pupil organisation that goals to unfold conservative beliefs at liberal-leaning US schools.
He turned identified for holding open-air debates on campuses throughout the nation, fielding fast questions in a signature “Show Me Incorrect” fashion.
His social media feed and day by day podcast provide a snapshot of what he usually debated – the problems ranged from gun rights and local weather change, to religion and household values.
Kirk had many critics who noticed him as a divisive determine that promoted controversial and, at occasions, conspiratorial beliefs such because the false declare that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.
However he additionally had his followers. They credit score him with taking part in a key position in convincing youthful voters to end up for Trump in final 12 months’s election.
He was valued throughout the Trump administration for his eager understanding of the Maga motion.
What has the response been?
There was shock, grief and anger throughout the political spectrum.
“The Nice, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is lifeless. No-one understood or had the Coronary heart of the Youth in the US of America higher than Charlie,” Trump mentioned in an announcement on Fact Social.
“He was beloved and admired by ALL, particularly me,” the president added, ordering that each one flags be flown at half-mast throughout the nation.
Former US presidents have provided their condolences. Joe Biden mentioned there was “no place in our nation for this type of violence”, whereas Barack Obama referred to as the capturing a “despicable act”.
However the dying has additionally laid naked the deep polarisations inside American politics.
From the Oval Workplace on Wednesday evening, native time, Trump mentioned “radical left political violence has harm too many harmless folks”.
A few of his allies – together with Laura Loomer and Elon Musk – equally pinned blame on the left or the Democratic Get together, and referred to as for mass arrests.
Conservative commentators have additionally highlighted tasteless feedback by left-wing activists showing to have a good time or condone Kirk’s dying.
This has spilled out in Congress, the place shouting broke out after a second of silence for Kirk. Republican consultant Anna Paulina Luna accused Democrats of spreading hateful rhetoric.
Nevertheless, the feedback from Trump and his allies have stirred controversy, with critics saying they neglect to acknowledge that the spate of violence is affecting left-leaning politicians too, and arguing they might heighten tensions additional.
Is political violence within the US rising?
The US has skilled about 150 politically motivated assaults within the first six months of this 12 months.
That’s almost twice as many as over the identical interval final 12 months, an professional advised Reuters information company.
Mike Jensen – from the College of Maryland, which for greater than 50 years has tracked political violence in a database – mentioned the US is in a “a really, very harmful spot proper now”.
“This might completely function a sort of flashpoint that conjures up extra of it.”
Kirk’s homicide is the newest in a string of high-profile assaults towards political leaders within the US, together with two tried assassinations on Trump throughout his 2024 election marketing campaign.
The president suffered an ear damage in an tried assassination at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, final July.
In June, Minnesota’s high Democratic legislator and her husband have been murdered of their house.
In 2022, the husband of then-Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi was bludgeoned with a hammer after a person broke into the couple’s house on the lookout for the top-ranking Democrat with the intention of taking her hostage.
Former US consultant Gabby Giffords – who survived being shot within the head throughout a gathering with constituents in 2011 – additionally condemned the assault.
“Democratic societies will at all times have political disagreements, however we must not ever enable America to change into a rustic that confronts these disagreements with violence.”
Correction: An earlier model of this story mentioned Kirk’s spouse and youngsters have been current on the occasion. In truth that is unclear.