US authorities have confirmed that a suspect is in custody following the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. FBI Director Kash Patel announced the arrest on Wednesday, thanking law enforcement for their swift response.
“The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi. We will provide updates when able,” Patel wrote on X.
Kirk, the 31-year-old CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was addressing students under a tent at the university’s Sorensen Centre courtyard when a single gunshot rang out. Video footage captured him collapsing as shocked spectators screamed and fled the scene. The slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong” were emblazoned on the tent, marking the launch of his national college tour.
Tributes and condemnation poured in from across the political spectrum. President Donald Trump, a close ally of Kirk, described him as “a very, very good friend” and said that “no one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.” He ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff until Sunday evening. Former President Barack Obama also weighed in, calling the shooting “despicable” and offering prayers to Kirk’s wife and children.
Other public figures voiced alarm at the continuing rise in political violence. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi said such attacks were “reprehensible” and had no place in the nation, while former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, herself a survivor of a shooting, said she was “horrified” by the killing. Utah’s former congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at the event, described the gunman as “absolute total, complete evil.”
Supporters of Kirk gathered outside Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix to mourn. Some brought flowers while others prayed. A 14-year-old supporter, Samuel Monahan, said: “This is what happens when we’re without God,” calling Kirk a man who cared deeply about people.
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