Charlie Kirk, a Trump ally and rightwing activist, has been shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Here’s what we know so far:
Kirk, 31, died after being shot during a presentation on campus. Donald Trump announced the death in a Truth Social post, writing: “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.”
Kirk, the executive director of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was shot at about 12.10pm local time while appearing at an event. In video posts circulating on social media, Kirk can be seen being struck while speaking and sitting beneath a tent. Video footage shows students on campus running away from the sound of a gunshot.
On Thursday morning, the FBI said officials recovered a “high-powered bolt action rifle” they believe to have been used to shoot Kirk. The weapon was found in a wooded area. Investigators also collected “footwear, impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis”.
Utah officials said there was “good video footage” of the suspect, who moved to the other side of the building from where shots were thought to have been fired, jumped off the building and fled the campus. officials added that the shooter “blended in” and “appears to be of college age”.
