Charlie Kirk, a major supporter of Donald Trump and the executive director of the Turning Point USA organization, has died after he was shot while delivering a talk at Utah Valley University, the US president has announced.
The 31-year-old activist and influencer was shot in the neck while taking questions from a crowd gathered on the grounds of the university. Kirk was reportedly shot from a building about 200 yards from where he stood, having addressed the crowd for some 20 minutes, a university spokesperson told New York Times.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, extending condolences to Kirk's wife Erika and family.
Around 90 minutes after he announced, "The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody," FBI Director Kash Patel said moments ago that the person has been released.
"The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel wrote.
Justin Hickens says he was standing about 20 yards from Kirk as the influential conservative activist addressed a large crowd at Utah Valley University today. Then, in the middle of Kirk’s remarks, Hickens heard “a big, loud shot.”
When people realized Kirk had been shot, they started running from the outdoor pavilion area, some knocking over barricades as they fled, Hickens said.
Hickens is one of scores of people who had gathered to see Kirk.
At a news conference hours after the shooting, University Police Chief Jeff Long said six police officers were at the event, which about 3,000 people attended. There were “some plainclothes police officers that were in the crowd as well,” he said.
“We train for these things, and you think you have things covered, and these things, unfortunately, they happen,” he said. “You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today we didn’t. Because of that, we had this tragic incident.”
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