{"id":13168,"date":"2025-09-12T03:21:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T03:21:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/what-to-know-about-the-fatal-shooting-of-charlie-kirk-the-co-founder-of-turning-point-usa\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T03:21:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T03:21:41","slug":"what-to-know-about-the-fatal-shooting-of-charlie-kirk-the-co-founder-of-turning-point-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/what-to-know-about-the-fatal-shooting-of-charlie-kirk-the-co-founder-of-turning-point-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"What to know about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of Turning Point USA"},"content":{"rendered":"<div xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\">\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-assassinated-utah-university-shooter-search-b0acf4797f57f3436d8f8d0843dbea43\">Charlie Kirk<\/a><\/span>the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/live\/utah-valley-university-charlie-kirk-shooting-updates\">fatally shot<\/a><\/span>  at an event at a Utah college.<\/p>\n<p>Kirk was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump. He <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-turning-point-voter-mobilization-musk-07286c2572b02aafefdda1cda093e788\">led an effort<\/a><\/span>  to remake the GOP&rsquo;s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to vote.<\/p>\n<p>His killing Wednesday is <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/political-violence-assassination-minnesota-trump-3c750cff0749633872ab6101bfa23b23\">the latest example of political violence<\/a><\/span>  in the U.S. spanning <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-54f385fbdac215b89c6df047fa399039\">a range of political ideologies<\/a><\/span>  and affecting <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/minnesota-lawmakers-killed-congress-violence-1e6a061c4265b0136ebb058a2777b85f\">both major political parties<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the killing a &ldquo;political assassination.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Vice President JD Vance flew with Kirk&rsquo;s casket from Salt Lake City to Kirk&rsquo;s home state of Arizona on Air Force Two on Thursday. Trump said he plans to attend Kirk&rsquo;s funeral. <\/p>\n<p>Here&rsquo;s what to know about Kirk&rsquo;s shooting:<\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                    <bsp-figure>    <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                        <a id=\"image-640000\"><\/a>                             <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Allison Hemingway-Witty cries after Charlie Kirk is shot during Turning Point's visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley\/The Deseret News via AP)\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/b762795\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/3000x2000+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F93%2Ff6%2Fb3202ec4ac3c0409b3005e00b3a6%2Fc1ac1e0e5dd24228afadd40b5578d8e1\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Allison Hemingway-Witty cries after Charlie Kirk is shot during Turning Point&rsquo;s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley\/The Deseret News via AP)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                                <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                        <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                            <\/p>\n<p>Allison Hemingway-Witty cries after Charlie Kirk is shot during Turning Point&rsquo;s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley\/The Deseret News via AP)<\/p>\n<p>                        <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                    <\/div>\n<p>    <\/template>    <\/bsp-figure>                <\/div>\n<h2>One gunshot fired from a roof<\/h2>\n<p>Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University when authorities said the shooter fired from a distant rooftop.<\/p>\n<p><span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-video-graphic-online-social-media-6cfd4dfde356b960aeea69c01ea3ec34\">Videos posted to social media<\/a><\/span>  show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent. A single shot rings out and Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck.<\/p>\n<p>Utah Valley is the state&rsquo;s largest public university with an enrollment of 47,000. It&rsquo;s about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the state capital of Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                    <bsp-figure>    <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                        <a id=\"image-6b0000\"><\/a>                             <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Law enforcement officials prepare to sweep a building at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo\/Tyler Tate)\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/7c83297\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/7483x4988+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F23%2F57%2F296692242f996d6da996874200fd%2F645d657fe6084a5abd8130be95cf7e3f\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>Law enforcement officials prepare to sweep a building at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo\/Tyler Tate)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                                <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                        <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                            <\/p>\n<p>Law enforcement officials prepare to sweep a building at Utah Valley University, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo\/Tyler Tate)<\/p>\n<p>                        <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                    <\/div>\n<p>    <\/template>    <\/bsp-figure>                <\/div>\n<h2>The hunt for Kirk&rsquo;s killer<\/h2>\n<p>The FBI on Thursday said it was looking for a &ldquo;person of interest&rdquo; in connection with Kirk&rsquo;s shooting. The agency released a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UtahDPS\/status\/1966291959074738448\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series of photos<\/a><\/span>  showing a person wearing a hat, sunglasses, a long-sleeve black shirt and a backpack.<\/p>\n<p>So far, investigators believe the shooter jumped from the roof and slipped away in the mayhem after firing the fatal shot. Authorities said the shooter &ldquo;appears to be of college age&rdquo; and &ldquo;blended in&rdquo; with the college population.<\/p>\n<p>A rifle hidden in a towel was recovered in a wooded area near the university campus along what authorities suspect to be the fleeing shooter&rsquo;s path, according to information circulated among law enforcement and shared with The Associated Press. There was a spent cartridge in the chamber and three other rounds loaded in the magazine.<\/p>\n<p>Law enforcement authorities have received more than 200 tips from the public. State police asked people to continue sending them, adding that &ldquo;no tip is too small.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Two separate persons of interest were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said. <\/p>\n<p>The university canceled classes through the week and closed the campus until at least Monday. <\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                    <bsp-figure>    <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                        <a id=\"image-bc0000\"><\/a>                             <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"565\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"565\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"541\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"541\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"423\"><source width=\"599\" height=\"423\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)\" width=\"599\" height=\"423\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/a21143c\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/4455x3145+0+0\/resize\/599x423!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2Fdf%2F5b%2F5ef05a471d22154ff420c2953225%2F3a0ec7274e2e42da8555752f1d53d8b4\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                                <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                        <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                            <\/p>\n<p>President Donald Trump shakes hands with moderator Charlie Kirk, during a Generation Next White House forum at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington, Thursday, March 22, 2018. (AP Photo\/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)<\/p>\n<p>                        <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                    <\/div>\n<p>    <\/template>    <\/bsp-figure>                <\/div>\n<h2>Kirk&rsquo;s rise from Trump aide to major conservative influencer<\/h2>\n<p>Trump said he spoke at length with Kirk&rsquo;s widow on Thursday but didn&rsquo;t get into the specifics of what they discussed.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She&rsquo;s devastated, she&rsquo;s absolutely devastated, as you can imagine,&rdquo; he told reporters at the White House. <\/p>\n<p>Trump said he would <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/video\/trump-announces-hell-posthumously-award-charlie-kirk-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom-593355b219ac45299a2ec67e9f87361b\">posthumously award the Presidential Medal of Freedom<\/a><\/span>  to Kirk at a later date.<\/p>\n<p>Kirk was 18 years old when he co-founded <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-turning-point-trump-cf2a68e4303c5628299ffe383d09c1e9\">Turning Point<\/a><\/span>  in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/64b634a91a2d4933b8bca4c95baa1309\">tea party<\/a><\/span>  activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses.<\/p>\n<p>Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate&rsquo;s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., during the general election campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The Trump connection helped fuel Turning Point&rsquo;s <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/election-2024-trump-turning-point-maga-d08a98e439fa4e902cb756d7e35153db\">rise to prominence<\/a><\/span>. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the president.<\/p>\n<p>Contributions to the group doubled and then tripled &mdash; eventually climbing to $79.2 million in 2022, according to an analysis of publicly available tax filings. The group states that it now has a presence on nearly 4,000 high school and college campuses, operating as a conservative lifestyle brand that promotes hundreds of online influencers.<\/p>\n<p>Kirk was known for provocative statements on race that he used to <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-right-wing-provocateur-gen-z-race-5b57b4178fec39f30f3caad77b93c087\">court Gen Z voters<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;m sorry. If I see a Black pilot, I&rsquo;m going to be like, &lsquo;Boy, I hope he&rsquo;s qualified,&rsquo;&rdquo; Kirk said during a 2024 podcast with fellow conservative activist Jack Posobiec.<\/p>\n<p>Kirk staunchly opposed the enactment of <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/juneteenth-galveston-texas-1f8b201949c3197932d68036c0472686\">Juneteenth as a federal holiday<\/a><\/span>. He said the move to elevate the date was motivated by &ldquo;anti-American&rdquo; sentiment that promoted &ldquo;a neo-segregationist view&rdquo; that he claimed sought to supplant Independence Day.<\/p>\n<div data-align-center>                    <bsp-figure>    <\/p>\n<figure data-openoverlay>                        <a id=\"image-4b0000\"><\/a>                             <picture data-crop=\"imgEn-medium-nocrop\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source media=\"(min-width: 600px)\" width=\"767\" height=\"511\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><source width=\"599\" height=\"399\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A well-wisher is overcome after dropping off flowers, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the organization, at a Utah college. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)\" width=\"599\" height=\"399\" src=\"https:\/\/dims.apnews.com\/dims4\/default\/b944b9a\/2147483647\/strip\/true\/crop\/5700x3801+0+0\/resize\/599x399!\/quality\/90\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F92%2F96%2Facf23a33e2219997f041c4ac798c%2F465a34d7f17b4a6a9d10daf9ea68f3d3\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<div><bsp-read-more data-more-button-text=\"Read More\" data-less-button-text=\"Read Less\" data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-limit=\"110\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\"><figcaption>\n<p>A well-wisher is overcome after dropping off flowers, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the organization, at a Utah college. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/bsp-read-more><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>        <template data-bsp-figure-overlay-template>                                <\/p>\n<div data-slidenumber=\"0\" data-slidescount=\"1\">                        <bsp-carousel-read-more data-show-less data-expand=\"ReadMore-expand\" data-main-class=\"ReadMore\" data-more-id data-less-id>                            <\/p>\n<p>A well-wisher is overcome after dropping off flowers, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025, at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA in Phoenix, following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO of the organization, at a Utah college. (AP Photo\/Ross D. Franklin)<\/p>\n<p>                        <\/bsp-carousel-read-more>                    <\/div>\n<p>    <\/template>    <\/bsp-figure>                <\/div>\n<h2>Politicians unite in condemning the attack<\/h2>\n<p>Republicans and Democrats alike <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-shooting-political-violence-reaction-87f6755421938d0a0d7c5905be10767f\">swiftly condemned the attack<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation. The president, who sustained a minor ear injury when he was <span><a data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-butler-assassination-attempt-anniversary-crooks-d18804b0e1382003bbb91449638c721c\">shot at a campaign event<\/a><\/span>  last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship.<\/p>\n<p>He described Kirk on Truth Social as a &ldquo;great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X: &ldquo;The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>___<\/p>\n<p>An earlier version of this story misspelled the last name of an activist. His name is Jack Posobiec, not Posobeic. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-turning-point-e771e3967d5a6024f7cf84d5e0228fed\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Charlie Kirkthe CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at an event at a Utah college. Kirk was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of President Donald Trump. He led an effort to remake the GOP&rsquo;s get-out-the-vote effort in the 2024 election based on the theory there [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-trump"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}