From the Daily Caller News Foundation

By Mariane Angela

President Donald Trump delivered a somber address Wednesday night following the assassination of Turning Point Founder Charlie Kirk.

Kirk, 31, died after being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Trump opened his national address with a message of grief and fury, mourning the assassination of Kirk and praising him as a fearless patriot who championed free speech and American ideals.

“To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and, tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” Trump said. “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America. He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people.”

Trump offered prayers for Kirk’s family, urging the nation to pray for them during what he called a “terrible hour of heartache and pain.”

“Our prayers are with his wife, Erika, the two young, beloved children, and his entire family who he loved more than anything in the world. We ask God to watch over them in this terrible hour of heartache and pain,” Trump said. “This is a dark moment for America. Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever, to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense.”

“He championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace. It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” Trump said. “For years, those on the American left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”

Trump vowed swift justice for those behind Kirk’s assassination and other acts of political violence.

“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country,” Trump said. “From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania last year, which killed a husband and father to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a healthcare executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others.”

An unidentified gunman shot and killed Kirk while speaking to students in a campus courtyard, with authorities saying the shot came from an elevated position roughly 200 yards away. Officials believe the gunman fired from a rooftop and described the suspect only as wearing dark clothing.

Surveillance footage captured a figure near the scene, but investigators said the video was too grainy to make a positive identification. Authorities are still working to determine the shooter’s identity and motive.

MxM News

Quick Hit:

Charlie Kirk has died after being shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The Turning Point USA founder was struck near the neck during a Q&A with students. President Donald Trump called him “loved and admired by ALL” and mourned his death in a Truth Social post.

Key Details:

• Utah Valley University issued an alert Wednesday afternoon reporting a single shot fired toward a visiting speaker, triggering a campus-wide lockdown.
• Despite initial reports that a suspect was in custody, Deseret News says no arrest has been made as police continue their investigation.
• Trump wrote, “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie… Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family.”

“Charlie, we love you!” 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/OSvQAqSJmk

— MxM News (@mxmnews) September 10, 2025

Diving Deeper:

Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, has died after being shot while answering questions Wednesday afternoon at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Witnesses said Kirk was struck near the neck during a Q&A session, prompting chaos inside the venue as students scrambled for safety.

The university quickly locked down its campus, urging students and staff to shelter in place. “A single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker. Police are investigating now, suspect in custody,” UVU initially said in an alert. However, Deseret News later reported that no arrest had been made, and law enforcement officers are continuing their search for a suspect.

President Donald Trump shared a deeply personal tribute on Truth Social, writing: “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

Videos and images from the event are spreading widely online, capturing the panic inside the venue moments after the gunfire. Kirk, a close ally of Trump and a fixture on college campuses nationwide, was known for his outspoken defense of conservative values and his work building a grassroots movement among young Americans.

This is a developing story, and updates will follow as more information becomes available.