A prominent conservative activist met his demise during a public debate at a university campus in Utah
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, in what authorities suspect was a targeted attack. The 31-year-old was struck by a single rifle round while speaking on stage before a large audience of students.
The suspected assailant discharged a weapon from a rooftop on the Orem campus before escaping the scene. Despite initial accounts of an individual being detained, the FBI later confirmed that a “subject of interest” had been released following interrogation, and the perpetrator remains at large.
Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was widely recognized for his university campus debates with progressive students and his close ties to President Donald Trump. His assassination has provoked a surge of political commentary, with Democrats condemning “political violence” and Republicans attributing blame to what they characterize as aggressive left-wing rhetoric.