Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk died after being shot in the neck at a Utah Valley University event Wednesday, as immediately noted by US President Donald Trump. Two suspects were taken into custody, but both have been released. FBI director Kash Patel announced that one was let go following interrogation, and another detained earlier was determined not to be the shooter. A manhunt is said to be underway for a suspect.

US politicians from both major parties have spoken out following the attack on Kirk, with California Governor Gavin Newsom calling the shooting “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.” Newsom added: “In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.” Former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senator John Fetterman also decried political violence after Kirk’s shooting.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and House Speaker Mike Johnson requested prayers for the conservative commentator.

Kirk is a founder of the conservative campus organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) and has become known as a staunch supporter of the Trump administration and the State of Israel. Many are familiar with his politics from social media videos featuring contentious exchanges with university students at TPUSA events.

The US has seen multiple instances of political violence in recent months, with two Minnesota legislators shot in June and United Healthcare CEO Bryan Thompson gunned down in New York City last December. President Trump himself was the victim of an assassination attempt in June 2024.