BREAKING: Charlie Kirk Assassination SHOCKS America – Conservative Activist Gunned Down at Utah University
- Suspect arrested in Utah after frantic manhunt, says FBI Director Kash Patel
- Kirk, 31, was shot dead during a Q&A session at Utah Valley University
- President Donald Trump orders flags flown at half-staff until Sunday in tribute to slain activist
Conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, **Charlie Kirk**, was brutally assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, leaving America in shock and mourning. The **39-year-old** was gunned down during a Q&A session from a pop-up tent, sending the crowd into chaos.
In a harrowing turn of events, a viral video showed police detaining an older man in white shorts and a blue sweatshirt, but they later clarified he was not the shooter. The confusion over whether the real suspect was in custody dragged on for hours before FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest.
“The subject responsible for today’s horrific shooting that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for working with the FBI,” Patel wrote on X.
Kirk was answering a question about mass shootings carried out by transgender people when a single bullet struck his neck. The outpouring of grief has been immense, with President Donald Trump ordering flags flown at half-staff until Sunday in tribute to the slain activist. “He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now he is no longer with us. Melania and my sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox, in a statement, condemned the attack, saying, “Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life.” He added, “Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act. Our prayers are with Charlie, his family, and all those affected.”
Reacting to the murder, California Governor Gavin Newsom said the killing in Utah was “sick and reprehensible” and offered condolences to Kirk’s family, children, and loved ones. “The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work: engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate — never through violence,” Newsom stressed.
US Vice President JD Vance asked people to “say a prayer for Charlie Kirk,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson called him a “close friend and confidant.” Ben Shapiro wrote he was “utterly stunned and heartbroken.” Even political opponents like Joe Biden and Barack Obama condemned the killing and sent prayers to Kirk’s family, stressing that political violence has no place in America.