Kirk was hosting his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table during the first stop of his American Comeback Tour when gunfire erupted.
Charlie Kirk, one of the leading figures in the American conservative movement, has died at the age of 31 after being fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10, according to President Donald Trump.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday afternoon. “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.”
Kirk had been at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, for the opening stop of his American Comeback Tour. He was seated at his signature “Prove Me Wrong” table — a hallmark of his college appearances — when shots rang out. Video from the event appears to show Kirk being struck in the side of the head or neck as he addressed attendees from beneath a white pop-up tent.
The shooting sent the crowd into chaos, with attendees screaming “Run, run, run!” and fleeing the scene.
Around the same time as the incident, Kirk’s X account posted — and later deleted — promotional photos and clips of the event. “WE. ARE. SO. BACK. 🔥🔥🔥 Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour,” the post read.
President Trump initially reacted to news of the shooting, before Kirk’s death was announced, posting: “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
FBI Director Kash Patel also released a statement on X, saying, “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.”
Following the incident, Kirk was transported to the hospital in critical condition. A Turning Point USA spokesperson told CBS News at the time, “It doesn’t look good.”
Kirk’s rise in conservative politics began at just 18 years old, when he co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, an advocacy organization focused on promoting conservative values among students on high school, college, and university campuses. His influence grew rapidly, and by the 2020 presidential election, Kirk had become a household name in right-wing politics.
His three-hour radio program, The Charlie Kirk Show, cemented his close relationship with President Trump, who appointed him in 2020 to a federal commission tasked with promoting so-called “patriotic education.”
Kirk’s unapologetic style made him a lightning rod for controversy but also one of the most visible and influential figures in conservative media. By 2024, NBC News reported that his daily podcast was being downloaded between 500,000 and 750,000 times per day. Kirk frequently went viral online for his heated exchanges with liberal students during campus events, a format that became a cornerstone of his brand.
Outside of his political career, Kirk’s personal life also drew public attention. In 2021, he married Erika Frantzve, a podcaster and former Miss Arizona USA. Together, they welcomed two children: a daughter in 2022 and a son in 2024.
Kirk’s death marks a sudden and violent end to the career of a conservative figure who, in just over a decade, rose from college activism to national prominence, cultivating both passionate supporters and fierce critics along the way.