DONALD Trump called the assassination of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk “a dark moment for America” as he vowed a sweeping crackdown on political violence.
In a solemn four-minute video filmed from the Oval Office and shared on Truth Social, the president said he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk.”
X/@GaroweOnlinePresident Donald Trump filmed a statement from the Oval Office following the death of Charlie Kirk[/caption]
ReutersThe longtime Donald Trump ally was doing a Q&A with students with his nonprofit Turning Point USA when he was hit[/caption]
Footage showed a dark-clad figure running on a roof after the shooting
“Charlie inspired millions, and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” Trump said.
“Charlie is a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loves so much, the United States of America.”
The president hailed Kirk as “a martyr for truth and freedom,” adding: “He’s a model for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone who was so respected by youth.”
Kirk, 31, was gunned down Wednesday afternoon while hosting a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Shocking video showed a single bullet strike him in the neck as he paused during a student Q&A.
Bystanders screamed “Get down!” as blood gushed from his wound.
He died hours later in hospital.
In his Oval Office address, Trump linked the killing to a wave of political attacks, including the assassination attempt against him last year and the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“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,” he said.
He directly blamed the “radical left,” saying: “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 promised his administration would “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.”
Critics have long accused Trump of stoking division himself, but the president doubled down: “An assassin tried to silence him with a bullet, but he failed because together we will ensure that his voice, his message, and his legacy will live on for countless generations to come.”
SHOOTER ON THE RUN
Officials confirmed the shot came from the roof of the Losee Center, around 200 yards from the stage.
Videos captured a figure fleeing across the rooftop seconds after the gunfire.
A man initially arrested at the scene was later cleared.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooter remains at large and the attack is being treated as a “targeted political assassination.”
One stunned witness described the lack of security at the event, telling NBC: “There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted.”
APConservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday[/caption]
Krik is survived by his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two kidsInstagram/charliekirk1776
TRIBUTES POUR IN
Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at just 18, became one of the most recognizable young conservatives in America and a staunch Trump ally.
He leaves behind his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, and their two young children.
Erika posted a Bible verse on X after her husband’s death: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”
Turning Point USA issued its own tribute: “May he be received into the merciful arms of loving Savior, who suffered and died for Charlie.”
Fox News host Will Cain broke into tears on air announcing Kirk’s death, while Donald Trump Jr. wrote on X: “I love you brother. You gave so many people the courage to speak up and we will not ever be silenced.”
Robert F. Kennedy Jr also shared a tribute on X, saying: “Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era.
“My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech.
“We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country.”
Flags across America have been ordered to fly at half-staff until Sunday.
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Timeline of Charlie Kirk shooting
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
12 pm MDT– Kirk is scheduled to host a debate in the UVU Fountain Courtyard.
12:10 pm – A shot is fired at Kirk from 200 yards away and hits him in the neck. The event is immediately evacuated and a man is taken into custody.
1:02 pm – President Donald Trump posts a call to pray for Kirk on Truth Social.
1:37 pm – UVU closes campus, cancels classes, and tells students to leave campus immediately.
1:50 pm – Officials confirm Kirk is in critical condition to the Associated Press.
2:40 pm – Trump confirms Kirk has died, hailing him “great, legendary” in a post on Truth Social.
4:21 pm FBI Director Kash Patel shares on X that the ‘subject for the horrific shooting’ is in custody.
4:30 pm – Utah Governor Spencer Cox, speaking at a press conference, brands Kirk’s death a ‘political assassination. Cox adds there is a ‘person of interest’ in custody and a man arrested earlier has been released.
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