Charlie Kirk shot at “American Comeback” event in Utah

Conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The Turning Point USA founder was running an event at the school near Provo when shots rang out from a nearby building. The Deseret News shared reports from bystanders who claimed that Kirk was hit in the area of his neck. According to representatives of the university who spoke with NBC News, Kirk was the lone victim of the shooting. The Associated Press reported that Kirk is in critical condition at a nearby hospital, citing law enforcement sources.

Kirk is part of a cadre of online commentators who help funnel young people into the MAGA movement. His Turning Point USA points teenagers and college-aged Americans toward GOP ideals and his rallies frequently push Christian nationalist ideas to young, conservative audiences. He’s a strong proponent of the conspiracy theory of “cultural Marxism,” a framework that argues young people are turned toward Marxist ideas by college professors and pop culture.

Kirk has leveraged his extensive reach and organizational capabilities to become a person of no small influence within the Trump administration, though he holds no official office in the executive branch.

Several Trump administration officials have already responded to the news. FBI Director Kash Patel said his “thoughts” were with Kirk and his family in a post to X. Vice President JD Vance encouraged his social media followers to “say a prayer” for the commentator.

Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2025

President Donald Trump issued a similar call in a post to Truth Social.

“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” he wrote. “A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a frequent target of Kirk’s illiberal rhetoric, called the shooting “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”

“In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” he wrote on X.

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This is a developing story.