US activist Charlie Kirk assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University

Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and close ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, was shot dead on Wednesday while addressing students at Utah Valley University (UVU).

He was 31.

The shooting happened shortly after midday as Kirk took questions from an audience of about 3,000 in the university’s outdoor quad.

Eyewitnesses say the activist was in the middle of a heated exchange about gun violence when a single shot rang out.

Videos from the scene show Kirk recoiling in his chair, blood visible on his neck, before chaos erupted and panicked attendees fled for cover.

“I heard a loud bang, and then I saw his body, almost in slow motion, fall over,” one witness told reporters. Emma Pitts, a journalist with Deseret News, added: “We all dropped to the ground for about 30 to 45 seconds before people started running.”

Authorities believe the fatal shot came from the roof of UVU’s Losee Center, roughly 130 meters from where Kirk sat.

Aerial images of the campus show the vantage point overlooking the courtyard. Social media videos appear to show a dark figure on the roof moments after the attack, though officials stress the footage has not yet been verified.

Police say the suspect, dressed in dark clothing, fled the scene. A manhunt is underway, with heavily armed officers searching the campus and surrounding neighborhoods door to door.

Two people were initially detained but later released, with officials confirming they had “no current ties” to the shooting.

Kirk was rushed to hospital in a private vehicle, but hours later, Trump confirmed his death on Truth Social. His wife, Erika, and their two young children had been seated nearby during the attack.

Utah’s Department of Public Safety has described the killing as an assassination but has not identified a motive. “This remains an active investigation,” the agency said in a statement.

Kirk’s death sent shockwaves through the conservative movement. Widely credited with mobilizing young voters, he co-founded Turning Point USA at just 18, transforming it into one of the most influential right-wing student organizations in the country.

He was a frequent guest at Trump’s rallies and the White House, and his podcast and social media platforms made him a leading voice on issues ranging from gun rights to climate change.

On Wednesday, he was doing what made him famous — fielding tough, unscripted questions in an open-air campus debate — when his life was cut short.