Charlie Kirk dead at 31 after being shot in the neck in Utah

Charlie Kirk has passed away as a result of a neck injury sustained during an event at Utah Valley University.

While addressing an audience at the public university in Orem during lunchtime on Wednesday, the conservative commentator, 31, was struck by a single bullet after speaking for approximately 20 minutes.

The father of two, who was renowned for his combative debates with college students across the nation and his fierce MAGA views, collapsed immediately after being struck in the neck by a single shot from approximately 200 yards.

Kirk was struck mere seconds after responding to a query regarding mass shootings.

He was transported to the hospital in a critical condition, but he was pronounced deceased two and a half hours later.

There is an ongoing significant manhunt by the FBI and Utah police for the killer, who remains at large.

Kirk is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, with whom he shared a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son.

In May, the couple commemorated their fourth wedding anniversary.

The tributes to the late political commentator were headed by President Donald Trump.

‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is deceased,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.

And now, he is no longer with us. He was loved and admired by all, particularly me.

Melania and I extend our condolences to his wife, Erika, and their family.

Charlie, we are devoted to you!

In honor of Kirk, the President has directed that all American flags be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening at 6 p.m. EST.

Around 20 minutes into Kirk’s ‘American Comeback’ event, chaos ensued, as evidenced by the recordings of hundreds of students shrieking and fleeing for their lives.

The MAGA star, who was dressed in a white t-shirt, was seated within a tented pavilion, where she was fielding inquiries from the audience.

Kirk was inquired as to the number of mass shooters that had occurred in the previous decade in the moments preceding the shot.

“Is gang violence being counted or not?” the commentator inquired before retracting his microphone.

He was wounded less than a second later.

The young people in the crowd erupted in screams as those who were closest to Kirk rushed to his assistance.

According to UVU officials, the shot was discharged from the top of the Losee Center, approximately 200 yards from Kirk’s location on the college campus.

Eerie video footage captured an individual on a rooftop mere moments prior to the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

According to the police, they initially apprehended an elderly individual who was not the shooter.

Sophie Anderson, 45, was situated 100 feet from the stage at the time of the attack.

She informed Daily Mail that she nearly was crushed as she fled into the food court, where she concealed herself in a closet, as pandemonium ensued.

“I immediately recognized that it was a gunshot,” Anderson stated. She was accompanied by her supervisor, Phil Lyman, a former Utah state representative who had been distributing headwear on stage with Kirk just five minutes prior.

‘He was struck in the neck and immediately collapsed, resulting in a torrent of blood,’ she stated.

He was taken away by them.

The children are all in a state of complete disarray and are weeping.

MSNBC’s on-air comments regarding Kirk, which were characterized as “polarizing” and “divisive,” prompted outrage upon the release of the shooting news.

Matthew Dowd, a political analyst, subsequently proposed that Kirk’s supporters may have been responsible for the gunfire.

Dowd stated, “We are not yet aware of the full details of this.”

“We are uncertain as to whether this is a celebration or a supporter firing their weapon.”

Therefore, we are unaware of this matter.

In another contentious occasion, certain Democratic Congressmembers declined to offer a prayer for Kirk.

On the chamber floor, Speaker Mike Johnson observed a moment of silence in honor of Kirk, the father of two, amid inquiries regarding his wellbeing.

Following the solemn moment of silence, Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., requested that Johnson lead a moment of prayer in honor of the late founder of the media corporation.

Some Democrats, who were evidently opposed to the prayer request, began to applaud in unison, “No!”

Witnesses have reported that metal detectors were absent, prompting inquiries regarding security at the event.

A shadowy figure was also observed lurking on a nearby rooftop around the time of the gunshot in multiple videos captured during the event.

In the immediate aftermath, there was widespread confusion regarding whether the gunman had been apprehended.

Cops were observed transporting an elderly man away at approximately the same time that officials announced that a suspect had been apprehended.

Nevertheless, law enforcement officials subsequently stated that the individual depicted in the video was not the perpetrator of the shooting and that the perpetrator was still at large.

The campus security audio emphasized the disarray as staff attempted to determine whether the shooter was still present in the college building.

Following the incident, Utah Valley University evacuated the campus and suspended classes until further notice.

An online petition urging university administrators to prohibit Kirk from participating in the event had garnered nearly 1,000 signatures prior to Kirk’s appearance.

Last week, the university released a statement that reaffirmed its “dedication to constructive dialogue, intellectual inquiry, and free speech” and invoked the First Amendment rights.

Just minutes prior to the report of the incident, Kirk published a post on X.

“We.”

ARE.

Therefore.

Kirk wrote, “I am back,” at 2:23 p.m. EST.

“Utah Valley University is prepared and energized for the inaugural stop of the American Comeback Tour.”

Kirk was shown speaking into a handheld microphone while seated under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans ‘The American Comeback’ and ‘Prove Me Wrong’ in videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University.

Kirk was observed reaching up with his right hand as a significant amount of blood erupted from the left side of his neck, following the sound of a single shot.

Before individuals began to flee, stunned spectators were heard gasping and shrieking.

Before Kirk’s passing was disclosed, Vice President JD Vance utilized social media platforms to solicit prayers for him.

Vance requested that readers offer a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a young father who is sincerely kind.

Mike Lee, a Republican senator from Utah, stated, “I am closely monitoring the situation at Utah Valley University.”

I implore you to join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students who are currently assembled.

Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of California, was among the first liberals to request prayers for Kirk.

He composed the following statement: “The assault on Charlie Kirk is repulsive, vile, and disgusting.”

In the United States of America, it is imperative that we condemn political violence in all its manifestations.

Kirk was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and the opening speaker at the 2020 RNC. He was previously recognized as a member of Forbes’ 30 under 30 list.

The Charlie Kirk Show, his podcast, has consistently ranked among the top ten programs on the Apple News podcast charts and reaches over 1 million people daily.

Kirk was instrumental in the establishment of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit organization that was dedicated to the promotion of conservatism on college campuses.

The situation is being monitored by the FBI, according to Director Kash Patel.

The murder occurs in the context of a nationwide increase in political violence that affects all ideological perspectives in the United States.

The attacks consist of the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her spouse at their residence in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand the release of hostages by Hamas, and the setting of fire at the residence of Pennsylvania’s Jewish governor in April.

The gunshot of Trump during a campaign rally last year is the most infamous of these events.

Charles Cox, the governor of Utah, stated on X, “I have just finished speaking with President Trump.”

Cox wrote on X, “We will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy by collaborating with the FBI and Utah law enforcement.”

‘Abby and I are devastated about this.