September 11, 2025 | 01:37 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot and killed on Wednesday while speaking during his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University.
At around 12:20 PM local time, a single shot rang out, striking Kirk in the neck as he sat beneath a white gazebo in front of 3,000 people, responding to a question about gun violence. According to eyewitness accounts quoted by BBC, “I heard a loud shot, a loud bang, and then I saw his body actually—in slow motion—kind of fall over”
His death has sent shockwaves across the nation. Utah Governor Spencer Cox described the incident as a “political assassination,” stating during a press conference, “This is a dark day for our state.”
Shortly after he was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle, President Donald Trump confirmed his death in a social media post. Trump opened the address by saying he was filled with “anger and grief” over Kirk’s death.
Describing him as “great and legendary,” Trump called the 31-year-old conservative activist a “martyr for truth and freedom,” adding, “No one understood or had the heart of the youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”
With both the shooter and motive still unknown, state authorities are continuing their investigation. Officials believe the attack was targeted. CCTV footage from the university reportedly shows a suspect dressed in dark clothing, possibly firing from long range.
According to reporting from The Guardian and Hindustan Times, two individuals were taken into custody separately but were ultimately released.
Meanwhile, Trump wasted no time in assigning blame, pointing to what he called “radical left political violence” as the cause of Kirk’s killing, a statement that has further fueled national tensions. He also ordered all American flags lowered to half-staff in honor of the passing of Kirk.
In response to the tragedy, Utah Valley University announced that the campus would be closed for the remainder of the week, with all classes and events suspended. In a statement, the university president said, “We grieve with our students, faculty, and staff who bore witness to this unspeakable tragedy.”
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