Chilling footage captured the moment the MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk was shot during an event on a college campus on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old conservative influencer was speaking at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley State University when the audience witnessed him be “shot near his neck, reported Deseret News, which had two reporters in attendance.
A TPUSA spokesperson told CBS News that Kirk was rushed to a hospital but added that it “doesn’t look good.” He is in critical condition, a source told the Associated Press.
University officials said a suspect had been detained, but later confirmed in an update that the person was not the shooter.
Videos on social media captured the moment Kirk, who is the executive director of TPUSA, appeared to be struck by a bullet. Immediately after a single shot rang out, Kirk’s body seemed to jolt. Hundreds of students in attendance then scrambled.
Deseret News reporter Emma Pitts told CNN that she saw Kirk “go limp” after the gunshot rang out and that blood began gushing from his neck “immediately.”
“To be perfectly blunt, it felt like so much blood came out of his neck immediately,” she continued. “And then we all took to the ground. I can‘t tell you what happened immediately after.”
Utah Valley State officials said the suspected gunman opened fire from a building 200 yards away from Kirk. There were no reports of injuries to any of the students attending.
Deseret News reported that Kirk had been talking for two minutes before being shot at. He was on campus as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” and his appearance had been protested by thousands ahead of Wednesday’s event.
Fox News reported that Kirk was shot while speaking about trans issues. Videos from the scene show him talking to a large crowd through a microphone as he sat in an outdoor courtyard.
The shooting immediately captured the attention of President Donald Trump and members of his administration.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “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 said agents were being dispatched to the scene.
“Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected,” the director said. “Agents will be on the scene quickly, and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
Kirk is married to Erika Kirk, and the couple has two children.
Kirk is among MAGA’s most influential voices and is a friend of the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. The two famously traveled to Greenland after the 2024 election to gauge locals’ interest in becoming part of the United States. He was also a guest at one of the president’s inauguration balls and spoke at a post-inauguration rally.
