Charlie Kirk, a powerful right -wing activist, short ally and Turning Point USA (TPUSA) Executive Director, was shot on Wednesday, organizing the event in Utah and is in a critical hospital.
In videos circulating in social media, Kirk can be seen that he was struck and sitting under the tent in the Utah Valley University yard. Kirk was there as a part of the American Game Back tour, organized by the TPUSA Division in the Utah Valley. There are also videos of students in a university campus running away from the sound of the rifles.
A law enforcement officer told Associated Press that Kirk was in a hospital in critical condition. TPUSA officer CBS from Kirk said “it does not look good” and confirmed that he was shot in the neck.
On Wednesday afternoon, the university said: “UVU town is closed. Classes are canceled. Those who are on a university town are secured on the spot while police officers can safely escort you from university. We ask your patience throughout this process. We provide the best updates.
A spokeswoman for the Utah Valley University told The Times that a Kirk was struck by a suspect who fired from a building of about 200 yards. There is no suspect in skills.
The Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced X that he will “continue to share updates” and that “responsible persons will be fully responsible”.
“Violence has no place in our public life. Every political persuasion Americans have to unite this behavior. Our prayers are with Charlie, his family and all the affected persons,” he wrote.
Mike Lee, Utah Senator, was announced shortly after the reports that Kirk was shot to say that he “carefully observes the situation at the Utah Valley University. Please join me praying to Charlie Kirk and students gathered there.”
Donald Trump wrote Truth Social: “We all have to pray for Charlie Kirk, who was shot. Great guy from top to bottom. God, bless him!”
JD Vance, Vice President, wrote in a tweet, “Tell Charlie Kirk, a really good guy and a young father.” That attitude was repeated by the defense secretary Pete Hegset: “Prayer Charlie Kirk. Incredible Christian, American and man. Let the healing hand of Jesus Christ be Him.”
FBI director Kasha Patel said FBI was watching the tragic shooting at the Utah Valley University at the University of the Utah Valley.
Witnesses told The Guardian that Kirk was interviewed for mass shootings when he was shot in his neck.
Emma Pitts, a dessert News journalist who attended the event, said Kirk was his second question and that it was “about mass shootings”.
“The person he discussed asked if he knew how many mass shootings were related to the transgender shooter, to which Kirk reacted,” Pitts said. Then “he asked how many mass shootings had [there] We were in the last couple of years, “and” until he could even answer, we heard the rifle and just saw the Carlie Kirk’s neck turning to the side, and it turned out that he was shot in the neck. “
“There was blood, a lot of blood right away,” Pitts said. “After shooting the shots, everyone immediately climbed into the ground … We just tried to stay hidden.”
Then Pitts said, “Everyone started to run.”
Eva Terry, another dessert News journalist who attended the event, told The Guardian that the direction of the shot seemed like “came from the middle to the right side of the audience.”
Describing the suspect, Terry said he looked like “an older gentleman, probably from the end of 50 to 60, wearing what looks like a employee’s uniform.”
The shooting was quickly condemned by Governor Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, who said “Charlie Kirk’s attack” was “creepy, gloomy and reprehensible. In the United States, we had to reject political violence in all form.”
Shortly before the shots rang, Kirkas wrote in the tweet, “We. So. We return. The Utah Valley University is fired and ready for the first stop back to the American return tour.”