The political world was left stunned Wednesday after conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck and killed at an event at Utah Valley University.
President Donald Trump led prayers for Kirk, the head of the conservative group Turning Point USA, who was engaging in a Q&A with students at the time of the shooting.
Videos from the scene showed Kirk severely wounded from the attack.
‘We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!’ Trump said on Truth Social.
The White House sent out a copy of Trump’s post in place of an official statement.
‘Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father,’ Vice President JD Vance added on X.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was flying back from an event in Chicago when she heard the news and gathered her team in prayer.
‘FBI and ATF agents are on the scene. PRAY FOR CHARLIE,’ Bondi then posted to X.
The political world was left stunned Wednesday after conservative influencer Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University
President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to respond to the shocking shooting Wednesday of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
Vice President J.D. Vance joined President Donald Trump in asking for prayers for Kirk as Washington reacted to the shocking shooting
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican, was on-site with his family and called into Fox News Channel to recount the shocking event.
Chaffetz said Kirk was answering a question about transgender shooters when the single shot rang out.
‘He took his first question, which was a religious question. And then he got to the second question, which was about 30 minutes into his presentation, 2:30 local time, and the question was about transgender shooters, mass killings versus people that weren’t transgender,’ the Utah Republican said.
‘And when that happened, when that question came out, you know, going to have the interaction, one-shot,’ Chaffetz continued. ‘I was watching Charlie. I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backward into his left.’
‘And I can just hope and pray that somehow he survives that,’ the ex-congressman added.
FBI Director Kash Patel said his bureau was ‘closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting.’
‘Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected,’ Patel said. ‘Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.’
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom was quick to show bipartisan support for Kirk, condemning the attack.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was one of the first prominent Democrats to respond, calling Wednesday’s shooting ‘disgusting, vile, and reprehensible’
FBI Director Kash Patel said his agency was closely monitoring the ‘tragic shooting’ of Charlie Kirk
‘The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,’ Newsom said.
Kirk was scheduled to debate a progressive influencer, Hasan Piker, at Dartmouth College on Sept. 25.
On his Twitch live stream, Piker reacted to the news with horror, urging some of his followers to stop making jokes about the shooting, and he expressed fear that he could be similarly targeted.
‘This is a terrifying incident,’ Piker said. ‘The reverberation of people seeking out vengeance in the aftermath of this violent, abhorrent incident is going to be genuinely worrisome.’
GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a friend of Kirk’s, said on X: ‘A married young man and father, who stands on college campuses and encourages young people to get married, have children, stop abortion, and simply live a life for God.’
‘I’m praying that he survives. And I’m praying that this country rises up and ends this,’ the Georgia lawmaker said.
While many quickly shared prayers for Kirk, a subset of shameless social media users appeared to celebrate the attack on the Republican firebrand in the aftermath.
Rep. Brian Mast told Daily Mail in the immediate aftermath that he ‘hopes Charlie is alright’, and said he was praying he would not ‘lose a friend today.’
Rep. Brian Mast was among the first to offer his thoughts as he told Daily Mail in the immediate aftermath that he ‘hopes Charlie is alright,’ and said he was praying he would not ‘lose a friend today’
Rep. Cory Mills also told the Mail: ‘It’s such a horrendous and just horrific incident to watch. I mean, my thoughts and prayers are obviously with him and his family.
‘He’s been an amazing conservative leader, both in universities and on college campuses, but even with the continuation of the build out of turning point, giving policy advisers and legislators the opportunity to really talk with the youth and understand exactly what we’re trying to achieve by saving our country and the constitutionality of it, but we’re monitoring it very closely.
‘I’ve known Charlie for a long time. This is the type of thing we just can’t tolerate here in America,’ Mills said.
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna told Daily Mail he was ‘saddened’ by the shooting, and said ‘we need to do better as citizens of this country, the hate and anger that has taken over.’
The shooting prompted a furious response from Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.
‘I am done with the rhetoric this rotten House and corrupt media has caused,’ she posted to X. ‘EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WHO CALLED US FASCISTS DID THIS. You were too busy doping up kids, cutting off their genitals, inciting racial violence by supporting orgs that exploit minorities, protecting criminals, and stirring hate.’
‘YOU ARE THE HATE you claim to fight,’ she said. ‘Your words caused this. Your hate caused this. Charlie. His family. Those kids. No one deserved this. Enough is enough.’
President Trump led tributes to Kirk after he appeared to be severely wounded at the event
Kirk, 31, is married and has two children
Luna worked for Kirk’s Turning Point USA before being elected to Congress.
The horror shooting unfolded Wednesday afternoon at the UVU campus in Orem.
A source familiar with Kirk’s condition told Daily Mail that ‘doctors are still working on him’ after the conservative influencer was rushed to the hospital.
Footage from the scene showed attendees screaming as shots rang out, with clips circulating on social media appearing to show Kirk was shot in the neck.
People at the event took to social media to share details of the moment someone opened fire as Kirk conducted a Q&A session with students.
A man is in custody following the shooting, according to an alert sent to students.
Kirk published a post on X just minutes before the shooting occurred.
‘WE. ARE. SO. BACK,’ Kirk wrote at 2.23pm EST. ‘Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour.’
