ISLAMABAD: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck during a campus event at Utah Valley University, leaving him in critical condition, according to The Associated Press (AP). Former President Donald Trump and others have condemned the attack.
Kirk, CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, remained in critical condition at a Utah hospital Wednesday after being shot at the college event.
Videos posted on social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while seated under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” Suddenly, a single shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen raising his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before some begin to flee. According to the AP, the videos were filmed at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the university campus.
“We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie,” said Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA.
Suspect in Custody
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. The event had sparked divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing gathered nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and reaffirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
Last week, Kirk posted images of news clips on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the controversy his visit to Utah colleges was generating. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”
The college confirmed a “single shot” was fired at Kirk and that a suspect was in custody.
President Donald Trump and numerous Republican and Democratic officials condemned the shooting and offered prayers for Kirk on social media.
‘GOD BLESS HIM’: Trump
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The shooting comes amid a surge in political violence across the United States spanning the ideological spectrum.
One of the most notorious recent incidents was the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was present at the event, told Fox News he heard one shot and saw Kirk fall back.
‘A Close Shot’
“It seemed like it was a close shot,” Chaffetz said, visibly shaken.
He noted there was only a light police presence at the event and that Kirk had some security but not enough.
“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “So we just don’t have these types of things.”
Turning Point
Turning Point USA was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a Tea Party activist, to promote low taxes and limited government on college campuses. It was not an immediate success.
Despite early doubts, Turning Point strongly backed Trump after he secured the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign, according to AP.
