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By Gabe Whisnant and Anna Commander
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President Donald Trump and his administration officials have posted their reactions to the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, on Wednesday at Utah Valley State University.
FBI Director Kash Patel initially posted on social media that a "subject" had been detained after the shooting but later said the individual had been released after questioning.
Kirk leaves behind a wife, Erika Frantzve, and two young children.
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Later Wednesday, Trump posted a video that said, in part, "I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. He's a martyr for truth and freedom, and there's never been anyone that's so respected by youth. This is a dark moment for America. Because of this heinous act, Charlie's voice has become bigger and grander than ever before."
Trump blamed the "radical left" for the rash of political violence in America.
He continued in the video, "For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murders and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."
"From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father, to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a healthcare executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others. Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives. "
The president first confirmed Kirk's death in a Truth Social post, saying: "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!"
Flags have been ordered at half-mast by Trump until Sunday at 6 p.m.
Donald Trump Jr. posted on X, "Charlie Kirk is one of the finest humans I know. Everyone please lift him and his family up in prayer."
Vice President JD Vance posted on X, "Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father."
In a separate post, Vance wrote, "Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour."
FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X, "We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation."
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X, "FBI and ATF agents are on the scene. PRAY FOR CHARLIE."
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote on X, "We love you Charlie Kirk. Praying for you."
RFK Jr. then posted on X after confirmation of Kirk's death, "Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country's relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country."
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, "Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk."
...
Charlie Kirk Shooting: What to Know
Videos circulating on social media show Kirk addressing the crowd with a handheld microphone beneath a white tent printed with the slogans "The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong." A gunshot rings out, and Kirk clutches his neck with his right hand as stunned spectators gasp and scream before scrambling for cover. The Associated Press confirmed the footage was recorded on Wednesday in the Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk had been speaking.
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.
"It seemed like it was a close shot," Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke.
He said there was a light police presence at the event, and Kirk had some security, but not enough.
"Utah is one of the safest places on the planet," he said. "And so we just don't have these types of things."
The shooting comes during a rise in politically motivated violence in the United States spanning the ideological spectrum. Recent incidents include the June assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in their home, the firebombing of a Colorado parade staged to demand Hamas release hostages, and an April arson attack at the home of Pennsylvania's Jewish governor. The most high-profile case was the shooting of President Donald Trump at a campaign rally last year.
Turning Point USA's Conservative Influence
Turning Point was launched in suburban Chicago in 2012 by an 18-year-old Kirk and tea party activist William Montgomery, with a mission to promote low taxes and limited government on college campuses. The group struggled to gain traction at first, but Kirk's relentless efforts to challenge liberal voices in academia eventually attracted the backing of prominent conservative donors.
Though some in the organization were initially skeptical, Turning Point threw its full support behind Donald Trump after he secured the GOP presidential nomination in 2016, with Kirk serving as a personal aide to Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the campaign. Before long, Kirk became a fixture on cable news, embracing cultural battles and lavishing praise on the president — attention that Trump and his son reciprocated by making frequent appearances at Turning Point events.
Update: 9/10/25, 5:46 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Update: 9/10/25, 3:49 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 9/10/25, 3:53 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information.
Update: 9/10/25, 4:26 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 9/10/25, 9:18 p.m. ET: This article was updated with new information and remarks.
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