Charlie Kirk Dies in Shooting at 31 – Here’s What We Know
The unfortunate death of the political activist is being investigated, and according to one law enforcement expert, the attacker’s accuracy could make things more difficult for investigators.
On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was shot and killed during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University (UVU). This led to an inquiry, eyewitness accounts, and responses from political figures.
The university’s student chapter of TPUSA scheduled Kirk’s midday visit, which is when the violence broke out. A single gunshot was heard by witnesses from a nearby building, but university police emptied the courtyard and security quickly dragged the shooter away. The only person reported hurt was Kirk.
“We had a speaker, Charlie Kirk, who was invited by a student group, Turning Point USA, who was speaking on campus today at noon,” a UVU official subsequently recalled.
“At around 12:20, shots were fired from a building about 200 yards from the speaker,” the university spokesman added. As far as we know, the person was struck, and his security guards took him away right away. Our campus police have detained a suspect, and the campus will remain closed for the remainder of the day.
Kirk’s illness was confirmed by TPUSA, despite the university’s efforts to reassure the community. “This is an ongoing situation,” Aubrey Laitsch, the spokesman, stated. Charlie Kirk has been shot, and we can confirm that. We are now praying for him while he is in the hospital.
Hopes were shattered by late afternoon. In a statement to its staff and supporters, the organization revealed Kirk’s passing. It also told CNN, “It’s with a heavy heart that we, the Turning Point USA leadership team, write to notify you that early this afternoon, Charlie went to his eternal reward with Jesus Christ in Heaven.”
The investigation quickly came into focus. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, announced on X shortly after Kirk’s untimely death that the individual who was first arrested in relation to the shooting had been questioned and freed.
In the interest of transparency, he further underlined that the investigation is still ongoing and pledged to offer more updates.
A broader manhunt was launched because no suspect was apprehended, but an expert cautioned that it would be challenging. According to John Miller, CNN’s Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, the assailant most likely intended to move covertly, stay out of sight, shoot once, finish the objective, get the weapon, and leave minimal evidence.
The accuracy of the single shot also indicated that the assailant had previous weapons experience, according to the TV network’s analyst.
“This person is likely well-known to others and understood exactly what they were doing, which might be advantageous to law enforcement. This wasn’t an amateur, he said, having a long history of shooting.
The feeling of astonishment was emphasized by eyewitness reports. Standing around 15 feet away from Kirk, 45-year-old Jeremy King said he was initially perplexed and thought the gunshot might have been “part of an act or performance” connected to the conversation about LGBTQ+ issues and gun rights.
King’s bewilderment became fear as Kirk fell apart. “Everyone fell to the ground around me. I jumped up over my wife right away. It’s impossible to predict whether this will be a one-shot incident or if it will escalate into a mass shooting. You’re scanning, then,” he remembered.
After witnessing Kirk’s bodyguards’ quick response, he continued, “At that moment, I did grab my phone and start recording as they moved him to the SUV and loaded him up.”
As Kirk’s death became more serious, condolences from people of all political persuasions flooded in. U.S. President Donald Trump called the massacre a national tragedy in an address.
“The horrific assassination of Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus has left me feeling both sad and furious. “Tonight, everyone who knew and loved Charlie is united in shock and horror, and he inspired millions,” he said. In addition, he referred to the event as a “dark moment” in American history and referred to Kirk as a “martyr”.
The nation’s vice president, JD Vance, expressed grief over Kirk’s passing and repeated Trump’s remarks on X, highlighting the president’s laudation of Kirk as a “legendary” person who had a significant impact on young Americans.
Trump also expressed his sympathies to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and their family in his post. Vance then said a quick prayer for Kirk’s ultimate rest in peace.
Trump had earlier in the day formally declared that all American flags must be flown at half-staff until September 14. The White House, federal facilities, military stations, and American embassies across the world are all subject to the directive.
Kirk passed just two weeks after the church incident in Minneapolis. The community was frightened and in mourning when a lone shooter opened fire through the church windows on August 27, turning what had started as a calm student Mass into a terrifying event.
The gunman, who left behind a trail of unsettling internet material and a handwritten manifesto that disclosed years of internal conflict, was identified by authorities.
Sacred Service Is Broken by Shooting
Gunfire broke out as the congregation was assembled at Annunciation Church, tearing up beautiful glass windows and upsetting the tranquility of the church. Brian O’Hara, the chief of police in Minneapolis, stated that the assailant “began firing a rifle through church windows.”
According to O’Hara, “The shooter fired towards the children sitting in the pews at the Mass.” He said the assault involved the firing of a handgun, a rifle, and a shotgun.
A public advisory was issued by the City of Minneapolis, advising locals to stay away from the area. Despite the quick arrival of first responders, the death toll was already devastating: two children, ages eight and ten, had perished. In the meantime, 14 children and 17 other people were injured. Two were still critically ill.
Authorities identified Robin Westman, a local resident in her early 20s, as the gunman in A Troubled Suspect with a Dark Trail. Westman was thought to be dead, according to O’Hara. Westman allegedly identified as a woman and legally changed her name from Robert in 2020, according to KSTP.
Although Westman had no significant criminal past, films including guns, anti-religious symbols, white supremacist imagery, and racist epithets were posted on his since-deleted YouTube page.
A four-page manifesto that was penned and detailed years of emotional isolation, despair, and mental decline was also found.
Westman began by acknowledging that any apology would sound hollow and that forgiveness was doubtful. Nevertheless, she acknowledged the harm her actions would do to her family and those closest to her in a letter of regret.
Westman added, “I’ve been wanting this for a very long time. I’m not feeling well. I’m mistaken. I am a depressed person who is plagued by these persistent ideas. I can’t seem to stop myself, even though I know this is bad.
As parents describe panic, an eyewitness recounts horror.
Fifth-grader Weston Halse was one of the frightened kids inside, and he subsequently described the mayhem. He hid beneath a pew as soon as the gunshots started, according to KSTP, and then he saw that his neck was dusting with gunpowder particles.
“My friend Victor, like, saved me though ’cause he laid on top of me, but he got hit,” he revealed in a different CBS interview.
The gym’s doors were locked to prevent the shooter from entering after Halse and the other pupils were led inside. Later on, he saw his mother again.
“I was really happy because I was afraid that I wasn’t going to see her because I didn’t know what was happening, really,” he said, describing his feelings upon seeing his mother. I was simply stunned. It was practically next to me. The stained glass windows were around two seats apart from me. Therefore, they said, “The shots were right next to me.”
Despite being “super scared for him,” Halse said that he was happy to hear that his friend had been brought to the hospital and thought he was doing well.
A mom whose two children survived, Carla Maldonado, talked of the fear she and her husband, Pedro, experienced upon arriving at the church. Before they discovered their 7-year-old daughter in the parking lot, her husband frantically called for their kids. Their son, who was eleven years old, had been hiding in the basement.
“I am experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions at the moment,” Maldonado said. “But I am just incredibly grateful that this school did and had been preparing and also just incredibly sad and angry that this has to be a thing in any school.”
School shootings, according to her, had grown so frequent that they seemed “like a broken record.” Maldonado underlined that even one life lost was too many and stated that many parents felt the same anxiety and annoyance.
As flags dwindle, the US president calls for prayer.
Trump spoke on Truth Social about the incident. “I have received a thorough briefing on the horrific tragedy that occurred in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The FBI is on the site and responded promptly. The White House will keep an eye on this dire circumstance. Please join me in offering up prayers for all those concerned.
In remembrance of the victims, he directed that all American flags, including those at the White House, government buildings, military stations, and naval installations, be flown at half-staff until sunset on August 31.
