MAGA influencer Charlie Kirk has died at age 31 after he was shot in the neck during an event at a college campus in Utah, President Donald Trump announced.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “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!”
Trump added in a second Truth Social post that he is ordering all flags to be at half-mast until Sunday evening to honor “a truly Great American Patriot.”
Attendees at a Turning Point USA event were sent fleeing after a single shot struck Kirk just after noon local time, causing him to collapse while blood spewed from his neck.
Kirk was rushed from Utah Valley State University to a local hospital. He was said to be in “critical condition” at one point, but the married father of two succumbed to his injuries. Trump’s post came about two-and-a-half hours after the single shot was fired.
The suspected shooter has not been identified.
Videos on social media captured the moment Kirk, who is the executive director of TPUSA, appeared to be struck by a bullet. 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 appearances at Utah universities this month 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 Trump and members of his administration.
Trump wrote on Truth Social before news of the conservative influencer’s death, “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 was among MAGA’s most influential voices and was 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.
