Political Commentator Charlie Kirk Shot And Killed At Utah Valley University Debate

Overview

The Charlie Kirk Shooting at Utah Valley University, also known as the Assassination of Charlie Kirk, refers to the September 10th, 2025, fatal shooting of right-wing political^[1] commentator and Turning Point USA^[2] founder Charlie Kirk^[3] at a student event at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. The shooting was caught on camera by several internet^[4] users who shared the viral videos^[5] on social media sites like Twitter / X^[6] and Reddit^[7], among others. It appeared that Kirk had been shot in the neck, with graphic clips showing blood spurting from the injury immediately after. A suspect, an older white man, was reportedly taken into custody by police, who was also caught on camera in various videos. However, authorities later stated the man was not the shooter and that a suspect was still at large. On that day, viral reactions, memes^[8] and discourse^[9] about Charlie Kirk’s death surfaced online.

Background

On September 10th, 2025, Charlie Kirk hosted a debate in the Utah Valley University (UVU) Fountain Courtyard, and the event was set to start at 12 p.m. MDT, according to the UVU Review. Some students at UVU started a petition on Change.org to prevent Charlie Kirk from speaking at the university.

On that day, Charlie Kirk was suddenly shot during the debate at UVU, with a large crowd gathered around his tent at the event. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, the gunshot was heard when Kirk was being asked a question about gang violence and mass shootings.

A video of the shooting was widely circulated on social media sites like X and Reddit on September 10th.

For instance, X user @Rightanglenews shared a recording taken from far away in the crowd in which the gunshot is heard and Kirk is seen reaching for his neck, slumping over and falling to the ground as blood can be seen spurting from the entry point. The caption claimed that the shooter was a “Democrat,” but the political affiliation of the assailant was not known at the time. The post gained over 5,900 likes in under an hour.

A closer angle was posted by X user @Uncensorednewsw on September 10th, receiving over 1.2 million views in less than an hour.

Initial Suspected Shooter and Retraction

According to the Salt Lake Tribune and other outlets like Reuters, an initial suspect was apprehended at the scene and taken into custody by police on September 10th, 2025.

A video immediately began circulating online, allegedly showing the suspect being handcuffed on his knees. The alleged gunman was a bald, older white man, wearing a blue shirt and pants.

X user @justin_hicken was one of the accounts to share the video early on, echoing the claim that he was “the man who shot Charlie Kirk.” The post gained over 2.1 million views in less than an hour.

The man who shot Charlie Kirk pic.twitter.com/Fd5yXgJJFG^[10]

— #JustinYourFriend (@justin_hicken) September 10, 2025^[11]

Another angle of the alleged shooter was posted by Instagram^[12] user @nova.reign.lioness on September 10th, 2025, in which he’s seen with his pants around his ankles being escorted by police officers. A woman in the background his heard shouting, “How dare you!” The video received over 23,000 views in a few minutes and also went viral via reposts on X.

In the hours following reports about the elderly man seen in clips being the alleged shooter, AP News reported that the individual, who had been taken into custody, was not the suspect. Later reports then stated that the shooting suspect was still at large as of 5:30 p.m. EST.

Death Confirmation

Roughly an hour after the shooting took place, Charlie Kirk was pronounced dead at 31 years old, as reported by CNN and other outlets like Fox News.

U.S.^[13] President Donald Trump^[14] also shared a post announcing Kirk’s death on Truth Social^[15]. “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” the post read. It gained over 35,500 likes in a few minutes.

Online Reactions

Politicians and other political pundits reacted to the shooting on social media soon after the event as it rapidly spread online that day.

For instance, on September 10th, 2025, U.S.^[16] Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene^[17] reacted to the shooting on X, writing, “They just shot Charlie Kirk… I’m praying that he survives.” The tweet received over 11,000 likes in a few minutes.

U.S.^[18] Vice President J.D. Vance^[19] also tweeted about Kirk, writing, “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.” The tweet received over 268,000 likes in less than an hour.

Redditor Bobqee shared an article link about the shooting to the /r/news subreddit on September 10th, gaining over 8,800 upvotes in less than an hour.

The Instagram account @nojumper of the No Jumper^[20] podcast also spread the news in a post, receiving over 17,800 likes in less than an hour.

Some on X and other social media sites began joking about the shooting in viral posts and memes. For instance, on September 10th, 2025, X user @3xcalibaneur tweeted, “Shooting Charlie Kirk right under a ‘PROVE ME WRONG’ banner is a pretty funny rebuttal,” receiving over 25,000 likes in under an hour.

On that same day, X user @M1das_OW2 tweeted the Mar Hospital Bed Instagram Live^[21] image, captioned, “Charlie Kirk,” gaining over 26,000 likes in the same timeframe.

Various Reactions

Search Interest

External References