Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot dead at US university

Right-wing younker activistic and influencer Charlie Kirk, a large state of President Donald Trump, was changeable dormant Wednesday successful a execution that sparked fears of much governmental unit successful an progressively febrile United States.

Trump confirmed connected societal media that Kirk, 31, had died from his injuries.

“The Great, and adjacent Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote connected Truth Social.

Kirk was deed portion speaking astatine an lawsuit astatine Utah Valley University.

Video from the country showed him addressing a ample assemblage erstwhile the dependable of a azygous changeable rang out. Kirk appeared to illness successful his seat earlier the camera swiftly moved and sounds of panic erupted successful the audience.

The assemblage said the shooting happened astir midday and initially said a fishy was successful custody, though aggregate US media reports aboriginal said that was not the case.

Illustrating the immense value of Kirk successful Trump’s orbit, the 79-year-old Republican ordered flags connected authorities buildings to beryllium lowered to half-staff until Sunday. American flags astatine the White House were lowered soon aft the president’s order.

“No 1 understood oregon had the Heart of the Youth successful the United States of America amended than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, particularly me, and now, helium is nary longer with us,” Trump wrote.

“Melania and my Sympathies spell retired to his beauteous woman Erika, and family. Charlie, we emotion you!”

– ‘He fell back’ –

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was astatine the rally, told Fox News the shooting had happened portion Kirk was doing a question and reply league with the crowd.

“First question was astir religion. He went connected for astir 15-20, minutes. Second question, interestingly, was astir transgender shooters, wide shooters, and successful the midst of that, the changeable rang out,” a visibly shaken Chaffetz told the network.

“As soon arsenic that changeable went out, helium fell back,” helium said. “Everybody deed the deck, everybody… a batch of radical started screaming, and past everybody started running.”

Sophie Anderson, 45, told the Daily Mail she was lasting 100 feet (30 meters) from the stage, said she knew it was a gunshot arsenic soon arsenic she heard the noise.

“He was changeable successful the cervix and conscionable fell implicit and helium was conscionable a fountain of blood,” she told the outlet.

Kirk had an outsized power successful US politics, helping the emergence of Trump’s enactment among younger voters — 1 of the cardinal factors successful the Republican’s instrumentality to powerfulness past year.

With earthy showmanship skills, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA successful 2012 to thrust blimpish viewpoints among young people, turning him into the go-to spokesperson connected tv networks and astatine conferences for the youthful hard-right.

He utilized his tremendous audiences connected Instagram and YouTube to physique enactment for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and weapon ownership, and to dispersed viral, cautiously edited clips of his back-and-forths during debates astatine his galore field events.

His beingness connected campuses was seen connected the close arsenic a invited opposition to wide wide viewpoints successful higher education, but person sparked often fierce opposition.

News of the shooting provoked fearfulness crossed the governmental spectrum.

“Dear God, support Charlie successful his darkest hour,” Vice President JD Vance posted connected societal media, alongside a representation of the 2 men and the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.

Right helping media fig Tomi Lahren called Kirk “visionary.”

Figures connected the near besides condemned the onslaught and urged calm.

“There is nary spot successful our state for this benignant of violence. It indispensable extremity now,” erstwhile president Joe Biden wrote connected X.

California Governor Gavin Newsom — a predominant foil for right-wing figures similar Kirk — called the onslaught “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” portion Biden’s vice president Kamala Harris said “political unit has nary spot successful America.”

Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords — a Democrat who survived an assassination effort herself — said she was “horrified” by the attack.

“Democratic societies volition ever person governmental disagreements, but we indispensable ne'er let America to go a state that confronts those disagreements with violence,” Giffords said....