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Two people were detained in the hours after the shooting, but both were released shortly after. Authorities say the shooter is still at large Thursday morning.
WASHINGTON — Authorities are still searching for a suspect a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed in what Utah’s governor called a “political assassination” while speaking at an event on Wednesday.
Two people were detained in the hours after Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley University, but both were released. Few details about the suspected shooter have been released, but officials have said the person appeared to have dressed in an all-black outfit and fired a single shot from a rooftop near where Kirk was speaking.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said there is no reason to believe there’s a second shooter.
Kirk, a popular conservative political activist and media personality, was at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah as part of his nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour.” This was his first stop since resuming the tour.
A spokesperson for the organization told NBC News Kirk was “murdered” and asks “everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers.”
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 members 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 before a single shot was heard.
Was there security at the event?
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.
Campus police say six officers were working the event and undercover police were there too. Kirk had his own security team who worked with local law enforcement on security for the event, according to authorities.
Kirk’s presence caused controversy on the campus recently, with the school paper The UVU Review reporting a petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received hundreds of signatures.
The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”
Videos posted to social media show the aftermath of the reported shooting with dozens of people fleeing from the campus amphitheater.
Why were there reports a shooter was in custody?
An initial alert from the university shortly after the attack said a suspect was in custody, and video posted on social media appeared to show an older man being detained afterward. Officials later said the suspect was still at large and the man detained was cleared of being the shooter.
FBI director Kash Patel then said in a social media post around 6:30 p.m. ET that a suspect had been taken into custody. Around 8 p.m. ET, he said they released the person after interrogation.
“We are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any information related to the shooting,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.
Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.”
A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching for his neck with his right hand. Stunned spectators can be heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away.
Who is Charlie Kirk?
Kirk was a right-wing activist and media personality most known for founding Turning Point USA, a group aimed at promoting conservative political positions on school campuses.
Turning Point USA, and a number of its sister organizations under the Turning Point Brand, are nonprofit groups that work to elect young Republican candidates to office and encourage conservative values in high schools, colleges and in churches.
Kirk became the face of a young Republican movement, supporting grassroots efforts to bring new blood into the party.
The 31-year-old began his political rise in 2012 at age 18 when he was scouted by Tea Party activist Bill Montgomery while speaking at Benedictine University’s Youth Government Day as a high school student. Montgomery convinced Kirk to put off college and pursue activism full time, with the pair launching Turning Point USA shortly after.
Kirk’s outspoken support of President Donald Trump’s policies made him a hero to some young Republicans, and has drawn the ire of Democrats who say he is arguing in bad faith.
He has publicly promoted conspiracies, including falsely claiming the 2020 election was stolen from Trump and boosting unsubstantiated rumors.
A rash of political violence in the US
The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.
The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April.
The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.
President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts in 2024, including one where a bullet whizzed by the then-candidate’s ear at a rally in Pennsylvania. That shooter was killed by a Secret Service sniper as Trump was moved to cover.
Another accused would-be-assassin was arrested by Secret Service agents near where Trump was golfing in Florida shortly after, before any shots were fired.
