CHARLIE Kirk, an American conservative activist and close ally of Donald Trump, has died after being shot at a university event.
Kirk, 31, was confirmed dead shortly after the incident at Utah Valley University.
President Trump wrote on his Truth Social account: "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.
"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."
A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as his neck is injured. Stunned spectators are heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away.
A university spokesperson confirmed Kirk had been shot in the neck. He was then taken to hospital by private security and underwent surgery.
A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorised to speak publicly.
It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect.
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his non-profit political organisation, Turning Point USA, which he was the co-founder and CEO of.
Turning Point USA is a prominent organisation that engages conservative youth on school campuses, and played a key role in driving youth support for Trump in last November's presidential election.
Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions for an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked.
Kirk responded: “Too many.”
The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1000 signatures.
The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
Last week, Kirk posted on Twitter/X images of news clips showing his visit to Utah colleges was sparking controversy. He wrote, “What’s going on in Utah?”
