Charlie Kirk, the conservative organizer and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday, according to President Donald Trump and federal law enforcement officials.
The university said in a statement that a single gun shot was fired at the event and that a suspect is in custody. The school locked down its campus following the shooting, according to students attending the event.
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
Lawmakers and politicians from both parties condemned the shooting and sent prayers to Kirk and his family.
“Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,” Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the agency is deploying agents to investigate the shooting to assist with the investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi said both FBI and ATF agents are on the scene.
Kirk’s condition was not immediately known. The university said on social media that Kirk was “taken from the location by his security.” The school locked down its campus and canceled classes for the remainder of the day, the school announced.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox urged Americans “of every political persuasion” to condemn the shooting.
“Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life,” the Republican governor wrote on social media. “Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act.”
The Turning Point USA event was part of Kirk’s outreach to college students across the country, a regular component of his strategy to build support for Republicans among young voters.
Kirk has become one of the most influential pro-Trump activists since Trump first ascended to office. Turning Point USA has garnered millions of followers since the group was founded in 2012 and played a key role in mobilizing young voters for Trump in his previous presidential campaigns.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune offered prayers to Kirk and his family, while Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed their prayers and stressed their condemnation of political violence.
Other leading Democrats offered their support to Kirk, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who interviewed Kirk for his podcast earlier this year.
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” Newsom wrote on X. “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
Samuel Benson and Cheyanne Daniels contributed to this report.
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