Charlie Kirk dead after UVU shooting, Trump and Gov. Cox say

OREM, Utah (ABC4) — Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer, has been shot while at a rally on the Utah Valley University campus. President Donald Trump and Gov. Cox say that he has passed away.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was appearing for the American Comeback Tour hosted by the Turning Point USA chapter at UVU. The event was being held at 12 p.m. in the UVU Courtyard. A petition was created to protest Charlie Kirk’s planned appearances at UVU and Utah State University.

According to a UVU spokesperson, at 12:20 this afternoon, “a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court” at the UVU Orem campus as Charlie Kirk began speaking at his event. Kirk was hit and transported to the hospital.

“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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” President Donald Trump shared on Truth Social.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox also confirmed his passing. He shared the following on X.

“I just got off the phone with President Trump. Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy. Abby and I are heartbroken. We are praying for Charlie’s wife, daughter, and son,” Gov. Cox posted.

According to the UVU, the campus will be closed until Sept. 15. A press release was held around 4:30 p.m., where Gov. Cox spoke alongside federal and state officials. Authorities believe this was a “targeted attack,” and said the suspect was dressed in dark clothes.

“This is a dark day for our state, this is a dark day for our nation. I want to be clear that this is a political assassination,” Gov. Cox stated during the press conference.

He said that this shooting violates the constitutional right to life and liberty.

“Today, a life was taken. Charlie Kirk was first and foremost a husband and a dad to two young children. He was also very much politically involved, and that’s why he was here on campus. Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people,” Gov. Cox stated.

The governor stated that a person of interest was in custody during the press conference, but authorities have since confirmed that that person was released following an interrogation.

“We will find you and we will hold you accountable … I just want to remind you that the death penalty still exists in the State of Utah,” he continued.

The governor asked those who celebrated at Kirk’s death to reflect on themselves.

“I don’t care what his politics are; I care that he was an American,” Cox stated.

An archive of live updates from the day of the shooting is available below.