Vocal Donald Trump Supporter Charlie Kirk Shot On Utah Campus During Speaking Engagement

Conservative activist and Donald Trump supporter Charlie Kirk has been shot during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University.

In a shocking video now circulating on social media, Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, can be seen collapsing mid-sentence while speaking under a tent.

According to Fox 13, university officials explained that gunshots were fired from the top of a campus building, which is an estimated 200 yards from where Kirk was speaking.

His condition was not immediately available.

Kirk was approximately "20 minutes into his presentation" before the shots were fired, per CNBC.

Shortly after the incident, Fox 13 confirmed that a suspect had been taken into custody.

FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency was "closely monitoring" the situation, calling it a "tragic shooting."

"Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation," he said.

Several government officials, including Senators Mike Lee and Ashley Moody, shared updates on social media, informing followers they were aware of the incident. "Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there," Lee wrote.

California Governor Gavin Newsom called the "attack on Charlie Kirk ... disgusting, vile, and reprehensible."

"In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form," he added.

President Trump reacted to the news of Kirk's shooting on his Truth Social account, per BBC News, urging his community to "pray" for Kirk, calling him a "great guy from top to bottom."

The two have a long history of mutual support. Before the general election in 2024, Trump frequently appeared with Kirk at Turning Point rallies.

During a specific event at a Phoenix megachurch, Trump raved about the conservative influencer, branding him a "special person." Trump further thanked the 31-year-old for his "tremendous leadership."

Kirk returned the same energy earlier during the event, sharing, "From now until counting day and now until voting month, I will work the hardest that I have worked these last 12 years. I will give everything I possibly can."

The graphic video of Kirk's shooting quickly circulated on social media. In one clip, what appear to be students can be heard screaming, while others are yelling, "Run, run!"

Online users also shared their reactions to the tragic clip, with many condemning the violence.

"Disagreeing with someone's views must never justify violence," they shared. "We cannot allow a society where bullets replace dialogues or where violence becomes a response to political differences."

Another user wrote, "The fact that people think this is funny is a sign of civil deterioration amongst the people. No matter what a person's political views are it doesn't justify death or violence."

In the wake of the shooting, Kirk's own past comments on gun control have also begun resurfacing on social media. During a speaking event in 2023, Kirk argued that gun deaths were a necessary price to pay to keep the Second Amendment.

"I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe," he said.

"Having an armed citizenry comes with a price, and that is part of liberty," he added. "Driving comes with a price—50,000, 50,000, 50,000 people die on the road every year. That's a price. You get rid of driving, you'd have 50,000 less auto fatalities. But we have decided that the benefit of driving—speed, accessibility, mobility, having products, services is worth the cost of 50,000 people dying on the road.

He finished, "So we need to be very clear that you're not going to get gun deaths to zero. It will not happen. You could significantly reduce them through having more fathers in the home, by having more armed guards in front of schools. We should have a honest and clear reductionist view of gun violence, but we should not have a utopian one."