Students flee as Charlie Kirk is shot while speaking to a crowd of hundredsCharlie Kirk, an influential conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at an event at a university in Utah.There’s still a lot that is unclear about the incident but here is what we do know.What happened?Kirk, 31, had been invited to Utah Valley University (UVU) and was seated under a white gazebo addressing a crowd of about 3,000 people in the quad – an outdoor bowl courtyard.According to eyewitnesses and videos taken at the scene, he was responding to a question about gun violence when a single shot rang out around 12:20 local time.Kirk can be seen recoiling in his chair, blood on his neck, before the terrified crowd starts running.”I heard a loud shot, a loud bang and then I saw his body actually – in slow motion – kind of fall over,” one eyewitness told reporters.”We all dropped to the ground, and I want to say we sat like that for about 30 to 45 seconds, and then everyone around us got up and started running,” said Emma Pitts, a reporter from the Deseret News who was at the scene.Getty ImagesCharlie Kirk was a darling of the Maga movement and is credited with boosting young voter turnoutKirk was rushed to hospital in a private vehicle – his death was confirmed by Trump hours later.The university campus was evacuated, as authorities hunt for the shooter.Kirk’s wife and two children were on campus at the time, but are safe. No-one else was injured.Who is the suspect?Authorities say this was an assassination – but we don’t know who shot Kirk, or why.Two people were arrested in the hours after the incident and later released. They have “no current ties” to the fatal incident, Utah officials have said.”This shooting is still an active investigation,” the Department of Public Safety – which covers law enforcement in the state – said in its latest update.A large manhunt for the shooter is under way. The BBC’s Regan Morris, who is at the campus, said it has been locked down and heavily armed police were going door-to-door.Law enforcement officials say the killer is believed to have fired the fatal shot from the roof of a building near the courtyard where Kirk was speaking. They have said they are studying CCTV from the university and believe the suspect was “dressed in dark clothing”.BBC Verify has been examining videos posted on social media, which people are claiming may show a “shooter” on the roof of a university building in the aftermath of the attack.We zoomed in on the image, but the quality is too poor to make out what the dark shape pictured is.Using features of the building shown, we identified it as UVU’s Losee Center – which a campus spokesperson has said is where the shot came from.The video was posted on X after the shooting. We cannot verify when it was filmed.Watch: Video claims to show someone on roof at university where Charlie Kirk was shotWho was Charlie Kirk?Kirk was one of the most high-profile conservative activists and media personalities in the US and a trusted ally of president Trump. He was a guest at his inauguration and a regular visitor to the White House.As an 18-year-old in 2012, he co-founded Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a student organisation that aims to spread conservative ideals at liberal-leaning US colleges.He became known for holding open-air debates on campuses across the country, fielding rapid-fire questions in a signature “change-my-mind”-style – just like he was doing on Wednesday at the time he was shot.His social media and daily podcast often shared clips of him debating people on issues such as gun rights, climate change, faith and family values.Witnesses describe scene before and after Charlie Kirk shotHe has, however, attracted criticism for promoting controversial and at times conspiratorial beliefs.Kirk is considered by others to be a champion of free speech, is credited with playing a key role in convincing younger voters to turn out for Trump in last year’s election, and became valued within the administration for his keen understanding of the grassroots Maga movement.What has the reaction been?There has been an outpouring of grief and anger from across the political spectrum in the US.”The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.”He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me,” the president added, ordering that all flags be flown at half-mast across the country. Getty ImagesKirk pictured with Trump in December at an event by TPUSAAll living former US presidents have also offered their condolences. Joe Biden, Trump’s predecessor, said there is “no place in our country for this kind of violence”, while Barack Obama called the shooting a “despicable act” and said his family was praying for Kirk’s loved ones.Likewise a string of key White House officials have expressed their sorrow – including Health Secretary RFK Jr and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer has also offered his sympathy in a statement. “We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear.”Italy’s Prime Minister Girogia Meloni said the “atrocious murder” was “a deep wound for democracy” while Argentinian President Javier Milei paid tribute to Kirk as “a formidable disseminator of the ideas of freedom and staunch defender of the West”.Is political violence in the US increasing?In the first six months of this year, the US has experienced about 150 politically-motivated attacks – nearly twice as many as over the same period last year, an expert has told Reuters.Mike Jensen – from the University of Maryland, which for over 50 years has tracked political violence in a database – said the US is in a “a very, very dangerous spot right now”.”This could absolutely serve as a kind of flashpoint that inspires more of it.”Kirk’s murder is the latest in a string of high-profile attacks against political leaders in the US – including two attempted assassinations on Trump during his 2024 election campaign.The president was injured in ear after he was shot at a rally in Butler, Arizona, last July and authorities say they thwarted a second attempt on his life at his West Palm Beach golf course two months later.From the Oval Office on Wednesday night, Trump said “radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people”.Comments like these – which he has made regularly – have stirred controversy. Critics say they neglect to acknowledge that the spate of violence is affecting left-leaning politicians too, and could incite further violence against Trump’s political opponents.Getty ImagesGabrielle Giffords and Nancy Pelosi, both targets of political violence themselves, have condemned the attackIn June, Minnesota’s top Democratic legislator and her husband were murdered in their home.In April, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro’s house was burned in an arson attack, while the Democrat and his family slept inside.Other incidents this year include politically motivated fire attacks on Tesla dealerships and the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington.And in 2022, the husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was bludgeoned with a hammer after a man broke into the couple’s home looking for the top-ranking Democrat with the intention of taking her hostage.”The horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible,” Pelosi said in a post on X on Wednesday.Former US representative Gabby Giffords – who survived being shot in the head during a meeting with constituents in 2011 – also condemned the attack.”Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.”
Source link
What we know about fatal shooting of conservative US activist
