On September 11, 2025, President Donald Trump called for his supporters to respond peacefully to the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old, a key figure in driving youth support for Trump’s MAGA movement, was struck in the neck by a single bullet fired from a rooftop, leading to his immediate collapse. The gunman remains at large, with the FBI releasing images of a person of interest described as wearing sunglasses, a baseball cap, dark jeans, and a long-sleeved black shirt with a U.S. flag design. A $100,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
Trump’s call for nonviolence came a day after he delivered a fiery speech blaming the “radical left” for the shooting and promising a strong response. In a shift, he told reporters that Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, was “an advocate of nonviolence” and urged supporters to follow suit, saying, “That’s the way I’d like to see people respond.” Despite claims of “big progress” in the investigation, authorities confirmed the suspect is still on the run, with a high-powered bolt-action rifle recovered from a wooded area near the scene.
The killing has deepened political divides in the U.S., with far-right voices like @LibsofTikTOK declaring “THIS IS WAR” on social media and Fox News host Jesse Watters suggesting conservatives are under attack. Kirk, hailed as a “martyr” by supporters, was known for his influential presence on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where he promoted conservative ideals such as anti-immigration policies and gun ownership. Trump announced plans to award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him a “giant of his generation” and a “champion of liberty.”
Meanwhile, the incident has sparked broader concerns about political violence and free speech. A top State Department official stated that foreigners in the U.S. who “praise, rationalize, or make light of” Kirk’s death could face consequences, raising fears of a crackdown on dissenting views, particularly amid ongoing campus protests over Israel’s war on Gaza. Students at Utah Valley University, like software engineering student Samuel Kimball, expressed unease about sharing political opinions, highlighting the growing tension in an already polarized nation.
The shooting follows other recent acts of political violence, including the murder of a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in Minnesota three months ago and an assassination attempt on Trump during his 2024 campaign. As Vice President JD Vance visited Kirk’s family in Utah, the nation grapples with how to address this “dark moment,” as Trump described it, while conspiracy theories and calls for vengeance continue to spread online.