Orem, Utah (AP) – Charlie Kirk, CEO and co-founder of a conservative youth organization Turning Point USAwas filmed at an event at the University of Utah on Wednesday, Turning Point said. The suspect was in custody, the university said.
“We’ve made sure he was shot and we’re praying for Charlie,” said Aubrey Laty, Public Relations Manager at Turning Point USA.
A video posted on Utah Valley University’s social media shows Kirk talking to a handheld microphone and sitting under a white tent decorated with the slogan “American comeback” and “Proof Me Wrong.” A single shot sounds and you can see Kirk reaching out with his right hand, as a massive amount of blood erupts from the left side of his neck. The surprised audience can hear people screaming in breath before they start to run away. The AP was able to confirm that the video was filmed at Sorensen Center Courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus.
Kirk was speaking at discussions hosted by his nonprofit political organization. The event was filled with divided opinions on campus. An online petition seeking university administrators to appear in Kirk has received nearly 1,000 signatures. Last week, the university issued a statement citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to freedom of speech, intellectual investigation and constructive dialogue.”
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk will speak at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on October 24, 2024. (AP Photo/John Locher, file)
The university said “Single Shot” was fired at Kirk and the suspect was in custody.
President Donald Trump and a host of Republican and Democrat elected officials condemned the shooting and offered Kirk a prayer on social media.
“We all have to pray for Charlie Kirk, who was shot. A great man from top to bottom. God bless him!” Trump posted to the Society of Truth.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk speaks during the Turning Point Action Conference in West Palm Beach, Florida on July 15, 2023 (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
The shootings occur amid a surge in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum. The attacks include the assassination of her husband at the Minnesota Senator and her husband’s house in June, the fire at the Colorado Parade calling for the release of Hamas hostages, and the fire at the Jewish Pennsylvania governor’s home in April. The most notorious of these events was Trump’s filming at last year’s campaign rally.
Jason Chaffetz, a former Republican and Utah Rep. who attended the event, said in an interview with the Fox News Channel that he heard a shot and saw Kirk return.
“It felt like a close shot,” Chaffetz said.
He had a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security, but not enough.
“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And we don’t have these kinds of things.”
Turning Point was established in 2012 by Chicago suburb Kirk (18 at the time) and Tea Party activist William Montgomery to convert on university campuses for low tax and limited government. It wasn’t a success right away.
But Kirk’s enthusiasm for standing up against liberals in academia ultimately outperformed a set of influential, conservative investors.
Despite the early concerns, Turning Point He enthusiastically supported Trump after he decided to nominate the GOP in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr. during the general election campaign.
Soon, Kirk was a regular on cable television, where he leaned against the culture war and praised the then president. Trump and his son were equally enthusiastic, often talking at Turning Point meetings.
