Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday at an event at a Utah college.
Kirk was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump. He led an effort to remake the GOP’s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory that there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to vote.
His killing is the latest example of political violence in the U.S. spanning a range of political ideologies and affecting both major political parties.
Here’s what to know about Kirk’s shooting:
One shot from a roof
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University when authorities said the shooter fired from a roof.
Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent. A single shot rings out and Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck.
Utah Valley is the state’s largest public university with an enrollment of 47,000. It’s about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the state capital of Salt Lake City.
Officials believe the shooter acted alone
The shooter targeted one person, said Beau Mason, the commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination.”
A “person of interest” was in custody Wednesday evening, Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced. Officials had no information indicating a second person was involved, the governor said.
Officers were seen looking at a photo on their phones and showing it to people to see if they recognize a person of interest. Authorities said the shooter wore dark clothing.
Authorities took one man, George Zinn, into custody who they later released after determining he was not the suspect, Mason said. The police booked Zinn into the county jail on allegations of obstructing justice, he said. A voicemail message left at a number listed for Zinn was not immediately returned. Zinn pleaded guilty in 2013 to making terrorist threats after police said he emailed Salt Lake City Marathon organizers asking to place bombs at the finish line.
The university said the campus was immediately evacuated and remained closed. Classes were canceled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police officers could safely escort them off.
Kirk’s prominence rose with Trump
Kirk was 18 years old when he co-founded Turning Point in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a tea party activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses.
Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.
The Trump connection helped fuel Turning Point’s rise to prominence. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the president.
Contributions to the group doubled and then tripled — eventually climbing to $79.2 million in 2022, according to an analysis of publicly available tax filings. The group states that it now has a presence on nearly 4,000 high school and college campuses, operating as a conservative lifestyle brand that promotes hundreds of online influencers.
Kirk was known for provocative statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters.
“I’m sorry. If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,’” Kirk said during a 2024 podcast episode with fellow rightwing activist Jack Posobeic.
Kirk staunchly opposed the enactment of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. He said the move to elevate the date was motivated by “anti-American” sentiment that promoted “a neo-segregationist view” that he claimed sought to supplant Independence Day.
Bipartisan condemnation
Republicans and Democrats alike swiftly condemned the attack.
Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation. The president, who sustained a minor ear injury when he was shot at a campaign event last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship.
He described Kirk on Truth Social as a “great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
