OREM, Utah (AP) — Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, died after being shot at an event at a Utah college. He was 31-years-old.  

President Trump put out a statement confirming Kirk's death. 

Trump also ordered all American flags throughout the United States to be lowered to half mast until Sunday evening at 6 p.m. in honor of Kirk.

In video on social media, Kirk is seen speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.”

Kirk died doing what made him a potent political force — rallying the right on a college campus, this time Utah Valley University. His shooting is one of an escalating number of attacks on political figures, from the assassination of a Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota to last summer's shooting of Trump, that have roiled the nation.

A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. The AP was able to confirm the videos were taken at Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk was scheduled to speak on Wednesday.

Utah Valley University initially issued a statement saying campus police are investigating and a suspect is in custody. However, officials said the person taken into custody is not believed to be the shooting suspect, AP source says.

Today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk. He was hit and taken from the location by his security. Campus police is investigating, a suspect is in custody.

— UVU (@UVU) September 10, 2025

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry and Speaker of the House Johnson also posted that they were praying for Kirk.

Please join us in praying for our good friend, Charlie Kirk.

— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) September 10, 2025

Kirk launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to tread.

Turning Point's political wing helped run get-out-the-vote for Trump's 2024 campaign, trying to energize disaffected conservatives who rarely vote. Trump won Arizona, Turning Point's home state, by five percentage points after narrowly losing it in 2020. The group is known for its flamboyant events that often feature strobe lighting and pyrotechnics. It claims more than 250,000 student members.

Kirk showed off an apocalyptic style in his popular podcast, radio show and on the campaign trail. During an appearance with Trump in Georgia last fall, he said that Democrats “stand for everything God hates.” Kirk called the Trump vs. Kamala Harris choice “a spiritual battle.”

“This is a Christian state. I’d like to see it stay that way,” Kirk told the 10,000 or so Georgians, who at one point joined Kirk in a deafening chant of “Christ is King! Christ is King!”

Kirk had also remained a regular presence on college campuses. Last year, for the social media program “Surrounded,” he faced off against 20 liberal college students to defend his viewpoints, including that abortion is murder and should be illegal.

Kirk had a planned "Prove Me Wrong Table" event at LSU for Oct. 27.

He was married to podcaster Erika Frantzve. They have two young children.