Videos Capture Moment Charlie Kirk Was Shot Dead And The Chaos That Followed

Right-wing American activist and commentator Charlie Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday (local time) during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, authorities said. Videos are circulating on social media, capturing the moment Kirk was shot at an event he was hosting.

Cellphone video clips of the killing showed Kirk addressing a large outdoor crowd at the university when a gunshot rang out. The 31-year-old was speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans "The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong". 

A single shot rang out, and Kirk was seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushed from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators were heard gasping and screaming before people started to run away.

What Eyewitness Said

Reuters

Eyewitnesses said moments before his assassination, Kirk, co-founder of the conservative youth organisation 'Turning Point USA', was sparring with a questioner over who commits gun violence. Then the shot rang out.

Raydon DeChene, who was among the crowd at Kirk's event, told CBS News that she was standing near Kirk's "Prove Me Wrong" outdoor tent, where he invited students to challenge his political and cultural views.

DeChene said Kirk was, "ironically," talking about gun control before he was shot. She said she saw Kirk suddenly grab his neck.

"And there's just blood pouring out everywhere, and his eyes kind of rolled back. At that point, I kind of looked up because it sounded like it came up from behind me, up the hill. It was just one pop, and then we all dropped to the ground. Then they told us all to run. So we all ran out," she said. 

Jordan Last told CBS News that when he arrived at the event, he saw some security detail but walked right past them. He said he stood about 50 to 100 feet to the right of Kirk, because he was "looking forward to challenging him on a couple of things."

"The first question had just finished ... and they had just gotten into the second question, I believe, and that's when I heard a huge pop," he added.

Security Lapses?

Reuters

Kirk's event at Utah college was part of TPUSA's "The American Comeback Tour." The Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday evening that the event was held at an outdoor bowl courtyard on campus known as the university quad. It is a common spot for campus events.

DeChene and other witnesses said that there were no major security measures or any metal detectors at the event.

Some 3,000 people were in attendance, according to a statement from the Utah Department of Public Safety, which also said the university police department had six officers working the event along with Kirk's own security detail.

Trump Confirms Death

Kirk was rushed to a hospital soon after the bullet hit his neck. Video shared on social media showed security personnel carrying the youth activist to a car after he was shot.

AFP

Several hours after the shooting, President Trump confirmed on social media that Kirk had died. 

"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Suspect At Large

Authorities have not arrested a suspect in Kirk's shooting, described as a "targeted attack" in a statement from Utah's Department of Public Safety. 

Reuters

"The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard," it said.

Two men were briefly detained and released after being questioned by law enforcement officials as the manhunt continued. One man, George Zinn, was charged with obstruction. Neither man has "current ties to the shooting," authorities said.