UPDATES: Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk dies after being shot at Utah campus event
UPDATE, 9/12/25, 11:00am: Police have arrested a suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday. The suspect has been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old Utah resident.
“We got him. On the evening of September 11, a family member of Tyler Robinson reached out to a family friend who contacted the Washington County Sheriff’s Office with information that Robinson had confessed to them or implied that he had committed the incident,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said during a news conference on Friday.
Robinson's father identified Robinson from the photos law enforcement had made public. The father told him to turn himself in, according to CNN.
President Trump announced, "We have the person that we think is the person we're looking for, but they drove into the police headquarters, and he's there now."
Tyler Robinson. Utah Governor's Office.
According to Fox News, Robinson had attended UVU for one semester in 2021, and had allegedly shared details of Kirk's killing with his roommate on the Discord app.
Police interviewed family members of Robinson, who said he had become more political in recent years. According to a relative, Robinson said at a dinner that "Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate."
Gov. Cox said that police recovered spent casings and unfired rounds with etchings on them that include the phrases, "Hey fascist! Catch!" "OWO," "what's this?" and "Bella ciao bella ciao ciao." The etchings also included, "If you read this, you are gay LMAO" and had a series of arrows pointing up, to the right, and down. He said the alleged murder weapon is a bolt-action Mauser .30-06.
Authorities also appear to have tracked Robinson's car from the UVU campus to his home. Investigators recovered a "high-powered, bolt-action rifle" along the route the suspect is believed to have used to escape, according to FBI Salt Lake City Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls.
Kirk's body has been flown to Arizona, where he lived with his family, on Vice President JD Vance's Air Force Two. Vance was seen helping to carry Kirk's casket on a tarmac in Salt Lake City in a video posted to social media by Tyler Bower, who worked with Kirk at his organization Turning Point USA.
UPDATE, 9/12/25: According to an article from the Economic Times, Charlie Kirk's wife and children were present at the Utah event where he was assassinated.
"Authorities confirmed that Kirk’s immediate family, including his wife and children, were present in the courtyard where the attack unfolded. They were quickly evacuated by security personnel." The outlet added, "No other attendees suffered injuries, though several people were treated for shock and trauma. More than 3,000 individuals were at the UVU courtyard, underscoring the scale of the security challenge."
UPDATE, 9:20pm: Earlier in the day, a number of Democrat leaders (including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, former VP Kamala Harris, Sen. Chuck Schumer, and others) decried the "political violence" against Charlie Kirk. In addition, multiple world leaders expressed their sadness and shock at the murder of Kirk, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Argentinian president Javier Milei, and others.
UPDATE, 4:49pm:President Trump has announced the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk after he was shot during an event at Utah Valley University. The suspect is still at large, according to the Associated Press.
UPDATE, 4:31pm: Despite earlier reports that the suspect had been detained, UVU spokesperson Scott Trotter said in a statement, “We can confirm that Mr. Kirk was shot, but we don’t know his condition. The suspect is not in custody."
9/10/2025: Conservative author and activist Charlie Kirk, 31, who founded Turning Point USA, has been shot at a campus Q&A event at Utah Valley University.
News reports indicate that Kirk is married with two young children. His condition is currently unknown, but he is hospitalized. A suspect, described by Deseret News as "an older man," is in custody.
Fox News reports, "In a campus-wide alert, Utah Valley University said that: 'A single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker. Police are investigating now.'" The outlet added, "Kirk had been scheduled to appear at Utah Valley University on Wednesday as part of his American Comeback Tour, with another stop at Utah State University later this month. His appearances have drawn protests and petitions from student groups critical of his views."
Responses from media and government officials have quickly poured in.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X, "We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation."
President Trump posted to social media, asking for prayers for Kirk.
Video of the shooting is distressing; a large crowd was present on the campus, located in Provo, Utah, and immediately began to disperse. It appears that Kirk was shot in the neck.
A witness told Nicole Parker, a former FBI special agent who appeared on Fox News, that he estimated there were 300-400 people, and he heard a gunshot and saw that Kirk had been shot in the throat. Other reports have indicated that in actuality, around 3,000 people were present.
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Kirk is known for hosting on-campus Q&A "Prove Me Wrong" discussions, frequently touring the country and inviting open discussion with college students, respectfully dialoguing with even detractors about his conservative and Christian views about abortion and other conservative issues.
Live Action News will continue to update as more information is released.
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