Right-Wing Trump Ally Charlie Kirk Shot Dead At US University

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, a major ally of President Donald Trump, was shot dead on Wednesday in an apparent assassination that sparked fears of more political violence in an increasingly febrile United States.
Trump confirmed on social media that Kirk, 31, had died from his injuries.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
US investigators said yesterday that they had found the bolt-action rifle they believed was used to kill Kirk and released images of a "person of interest" as they searched for the shooter they described as "college age”.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and state officials said the killer arrived on the campus a few minutes before the event began, a talk by Kirk titled "Prove Me Wrong" outdoors in front of about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 40 miles (65km) south of Salt Lake City.
Security-camera videos show an armed individual ascending stairwells to get onto a roof before firing at Kirk, the officials told a news conference.
Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck, prompting audience members to flee in panic.
The shooter jumped off the roof and fled into an adjoining neighbourhood, Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters.
Investigators found a "high-powered, bolt-action" rifle in a nearby wooded area, and were examining that along with palm prints and footprints for clues.
The university said the shooting happened around midday and initially said that a suspect was in custody, although multiple US media reports later said that was not the case.
"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," Trump wrote. "Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who was at the rally, told Fox News that the shooting had happened while Kirk was doing a question and answer session with the crowd.
"As soon as that shot went out, he fell back," he said. "Everybody hit the deck, everybody... a lot of people started screaming, and then everybody started running."
Sophie Anderson, 45, told the *Daily Mail she was standing 100' (30m) from the stage, said she knew it was a gunshot as soon as she heard the noise.
"He was shot in the neck and just fell over and he was just a fountain of blood," she told the outlet.
Kirk had an outsized influence in US politics, helping the rise of Trump's support among younger voters – one of the key factors in the Republican's return to power last year.
With natural showmanship skills, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, turning him into the go-to spokesman on television networks and at conferences for the youthful hard-right.
He used his enormous audiences on Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity, and viral takedowns of hecklers at his many campus events.
His presence on campuses was seen on the right as a welcome contrast to widespread liberal viewpoints in higher education, but have sparked often fierce opposition.
News of the shooting provoked horror across the political spectrum, with senior figures on the right paying tribute.
"Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour," write Vice-President JD Vance on social media, alongside a picture of the two men and the president's son, Donald Trump Jr.
Right-wing media figure Tomi Lahren called Kirk "visionary".
Figures on the left condemned the attack and urged calm.
California Governor Gavin Newsom – a frequent foil for right-wing figures like Kirk – called the attack "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible" while former vice-president Kamala Harris said "political violence has no place in America”.
Former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords – a Democrat who survived an assassination attempt herself – said that she was "horrified" by the attack.
"Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence," she said.

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