WASHINGTON — Officials now say the suspect in the shooting of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk is not in custody, despite earlier statements by university officials earlier that someone had been arrested. 

The person taken into custody after Kirk was shot at an event Wednesday at Utah Valley University is not believed to be shooting suspect, an AP source said. 

“We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie,” Aubrey Laitsch, public relations manager for Turning Point USA told The Associated Press.

A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting told The Associated Press that Kirk is being treated and is in critical condition. 

It’s not yet known who the suspected shooter was. 

Utah Valley University spokesperson Scott Trotter released a statement to multiple media outlets saying the suspect is not yet in custody.

“On September 10, 2025, at 12:20 a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court on the Utah Valley University Orem Campus as Mr. Charlie Kirk began speaking at his planned rally. We can confirm that Mr. Kirk was shot, but we don’t know his condition. The suspect is not in custody. Police are still investigating Campus is closed for the rest of the day.”

An initial alert from the university said a suspect was in custody, and video posted on social media appeared to show an older man being detained afterward. An AP source said this person is not believed to be the shooter. 

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. 

Utah Valley University issued an alert that “a single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker.”

The event started just after noon and was open to the public. His presence caused controversy on the campus recently, with the school paper The UVU Review reporting some in the community and on campus opposed him speaking. 

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. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.