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Utah authorities have not yet identified a suspect in the shooting of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk Wednesday afternoon.
The 31-year-old father of two later died from his injuries.
While a school spokeswoman initially said campus police had a suspect in custody, she later indicated he wasn’t the gunman.
“To the best of my knowledge, that individual has been released,” Ellen Treanor, the associate vice president of strategic communication management at Utah Valley University, told Fox News Digital. “Our campus police are currently investigating in conjunction with the Orem police.”
CHARLIE KIRK, TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER, DEAD AT 31 AFTER UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING
Charlie Kirk speaks before he 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)
Orem authorities declined to confirm an active manhunt for the gunman but told Fox News Digital a shelter-in-place order was in effect.
A single gunshot rang out around 12:20 p.m. local time, she said, about 20 minutes into a speech from Kirk on campus.
Graphic video shows he was struck before panic ripples through the large crowd in attendance, with people screaming and running for cover.
CHARLIE KIRK SHOT AT UTAH EVENT
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, throws hats to the public on May 1, 2025, at UC San Diego’s Town Square. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket )
“We had a speaker, Charlie Kirk, who was invited by a student group, Turning Point USA, who was speaking on campus today at noon,” Traenor said in a statement. “At about 12:20 shots were fired from a building about 200 yards from the speaker. To the best of our knowledge, the individual was hit and was taken away immediately by his security personnel.”
Authorities locked down the campus and canceled classes for the rest of the day. They told people on school grounds to shelter in place and said they were going door-to-door to escort people off campus. Roads in and out were closed.
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“We ask for your patience throughout this process,” the school said in a statement. “We are providing updates as best as possible. This is an ongoing and unfolding event.”