Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political figure and influencer, was shot and killed at Utah Valley University (UVU) during a Turning Point USA event on Wednesday.
Kirk was invited to UVU by students from the Turning Point USA political organization. His goal was to discuss and debate political topics with students and community members. Kirk called the event "The American Comeback Tour."
The event turned south when a shot was fired at Kirk. His death was later confirmed by his spokesperson, Andrew Kolvet.
While 141 students registered for the event, there were hundreds more in the audience. Hosted in the outside courtyard, Kirk sat at the bottom while the crowd sat on stepped sections surrounding him. A group of protestors also watched from a balcony above.
The shot is suspected to have come from a nearby roof, around 200 yards away on the Losee building. Brigham Young University Idaho graduate Heather Miller was on the second step when the shot was fired. She attended the event as a fan of Charlie Kirk’s.
“I looked up and then boom, gunshot,” Miller said. “I don’t remember it being that loud, but there was a fountain of blood coming out of his shoulder. I didn’t know the human body had that much blood.”
Kaylee Leany, a UVU student, said Kirk was asked about mass shootings when the shot was fired.
Ben Neilson, another UVU attendee, went to the event as a protester. Neilson was on the balcony when the shot was heard.
“We were up there, yelling things and booing. And then we heard a gunshot, and I instantly knew it was a gunshot,” he said. “So I started yelling for everyone to get down and grabbed people and pulled them down.”
Students ran across campus in panic, and many found refuge in buildings nearby. Leany testified to how chaotic it was.
“Everyone just started running, and it hit me that I had to get out of there,” she said. “I followed the crowd and was escorted into a little closet area with a few other people.”
When she got inside the closet, it hit her that Kirk was shot.
“When I got inside, I was trying to process everything,” Leary said. “There was a very tiny closet, and there was a girl next to me vomiting, and people were crying.”
Many students mentioned the lack of security at the event, claiming that there were no bag checks or metal detectors. Students also noted how long it took for the police to show up. Miller stated that she was shocked at the lack of security.
“There was no security. No one would have stopped me,” Miller said. “I didn’t see a policeman for a while. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, where’s the policeman?’”
After the police showed up, they told the students to leave the school and get off campus. The university sent an alert to students at 1:11 p.m. stating that the campus was closed and that classes were cancelled.
BYU sent out a Y-Alert text to all students stating that they were monitoring the situation at 2:13 p.m., and the campus has remained open since it was posted.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made an official Church statement following the incident. In the address, Church spokesperson, Doug Anderson, spoke about political violence and keeping peace in our community.
“We condemn violence and lawless behavior,” Anderson said. “We also pray that we may treat one another with greater kindness.”
Attendees interviewed from both sides of the political spectrum agree that political violence should never be the answer.
“I don’t support any of the things that he says, but I also think political violence is just horrific,” Neilson said. “No one deserves to be shot in the neck.”
Currently, no one is in custody, and the shooter is still at large. FBI and police are currently on campus investigating, and the BYU police remain on alert.