Charlie Kirk shooting suspect captured after assassination in Utah

A suspect accused of opening fire at Charlie Kirk as he spoke at Utah Valley University has been taken into custody, FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed.

‘Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with [the FBI],’ he wrote.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has also confirmed that a ‘person of interest’ is in custody and is being questioned by authorities.

Footage from Utah Valley University caught the moments after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot.

In the eerie footage, crowds could be seen ducking out of the way.

But in the distance a shadowy figure could be seen running across the roof of the Lossee Center.

A massive manhunt is now underway at the university, involving the Orem Police, Utah Valley University Police, the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety.

The FBI has set up a digital tip line for any information about the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

The Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI are co-leading the criminal investigation.

Kirk, who amassed a huge following for his fiery debates on university campuses, was assassinated in broad daylight mid-speech on Wednesday afternoon.

His assassination not only devastated many members of Congress who knew the activist personally, but unleashed sadness, confusion and anger among lawmakers in the Capitol on both sides of the political spectrum.

The suspect who shot Charlie Kirk as he spoke at Utah Valley University on Wednesday was seen wearing dark clothes.

He was caught on the university’s surveillance cameras, and authorities have now confirmed they have a person of interest in custody.

Officials say they believe only the one suspect was involved, though another man has been taken into custody for obstruction of justice charges.

Police at Utah Valley University had six officers patroling the event featuring Charlie Kirk, which drew about 3,000 guests on Wednesday.

Kirk’s security personnel were also at the scene.

Officers now believe the shooting was specifically targeted at Kirk.

‘You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today, we didn’t,’ University Police Chief Jeff Long lamented. ‘Because of that, we have this tragic incident.’

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox reiterated at a news conference on Wednesday night that the shooting was a political assassination.

‘To whoever did this: We will find you. We will try you and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,’ the governor warned the shooter, adding that the state still has the death penalty.’

He remembered Kirk as ‘first and foremost, a husband and a dad to two children’ and declared Wednesday was a ‘dark day for our state’ and a ‘tragic day for our nation.’

Officials announced Wednesday night that a man who was taken into custody in the immediate aftermath of the shooting has been booked in jail.

Police confirmed the suspect George Zim did not match the description of the shooting suspect, but have since booked him in jail for obstruction of justice.

A dinner set for Wednesday night at the newly reopened White House Rose Garden has been canceled as the president continues to mourn the death of his friend.

Donald Trump Jr. shared his love for Kirk in a tribute posted to Instagram on Wednesday.

‘Love you so much brother,’ he wrote, sharing a photo of him with Kirk and Vice President JD Vance.

Police in Utah are gearing up to give a news conference about the investigation into Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting.

A manhunt remains underway for the suspect, who was apparently seen running away on top of a roof in the moments after he opened fire.

First Daughter Ivanka Trump shared a tribute to the late conservative influencer.

In her Instagram Story, Ivanka shared a photo of Kirk with his family as she wished that he rest in peace.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. compared Kirk to his late father as he expressed his grief on Wednesday.

‘Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era,’ he wrote.

‘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.’

Meanwhile,War Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’

Conservative influencer Ben Shapiro shared his own thoughts on the death of Charlie Kirk in a lengthy X post.

He said he is ‘utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul’ in the aftermath of the fatal shooting, noting that he first met Kirk when he was just 18 years old.

Shapiro said at the time he was a ‘young man so eager and determined that I immediately turned to a friend and said, “That kid is going to be the head of the RNC one day.”’

‘Charlie became even bigger and more important than that,’ Shapiro continued.

‘It was a privilege to watch this principled man stand up for his beliefs and create the single most important conservative political organization in America. But more importantly, Charlie was a good man, a man who believed in right and wrong, who stood by his Biblical values.

‘All of us will miss him, and I can’t imagine the pain of his beautiful young family, and we must all pray for them,’ he continued, arguing that ‘we must pick up the baton where Charlie left it, fighting for the things he believed in so passionately.

‘And we must fight for a better America – an America where good people can speak truth and debate passionately without fear of a bullet.

‘I weep for Charlie’s family, and I weep for my country today. Most of all, I weep for Charlie,’ Shapiro concluded.

Turning Point USA has issued a statement eulogizing its co-founder.

The conservative organization prayed that Kirk ‘be received into the merciful arms of our loving Savior, who suffered and died for Charlie.’

‘We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers,’ as it asked the public to respect the family’s privacy.

A high-profile event with conservative firebrand Ben Shapiro at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was abruptly canceled Wednesday after fellow right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a Utah college rally.

Organizers scrapped Shapiro’s book talk in the library in California’s Simi Valley, immediately after reports emerged Kirk, 31, had been gunned down during. The cancellation came before Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a Truth Social post.

Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, was killed by a single gunshot to the neck while answering audience questions for his ‘American Comeback Tour’.

Video shows first responders rushing to save Charlie Kirk in the moments after he was shot.

They could be seen rushing to get him safely into a vehicle as crowds ran frantically out of the way of the shooting.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stopped a press conference on Wednesday after he heard that Charlie Kirk was shot.

‘What happened today was not just an attack on Charlie personally, but really an attack on the idea that we resolve these things through reason, debate, and elections,’ the Florida governor said.

‘A lot of people in Florida have known Charlie through the years. Casey and I have gotten to know him for over a decade, and he’s somebody that a lot of people have a great regard for.

‘We’re praying for him and his family, but I think we also have to reflect on the fact that the way to resolve political disputes is not through violence, and we see increasing levels of political violence in this country,’ DeSantis continued.

‘Charlie would go to college campuses, and he would articulate views that were very much outside of what most of the professors were offering or what the campus culture was offering, and the way to do that is to ask questions, debate.

‘That’s what the republic is based on,’ DeSantis said.

Former President Barack Obama has shared his thoughts on the fatal shooting of the conservative influencer.

‘We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy,’ he posted on social media.

He added that ‘Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children.’

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker seemed to blame the fatal shooting of Trump-ally Charlie Kirk on the president.

Speaking to reporters, Pritzker noted that ‘political violence has been ratcheting up in this country.

‘We saw the shootings and killings in Minnesota, we’ve seen other political violence occur in other states and I would just say it’s gotta stop,’ he said.

‘And I think there are people who are fomenting it in this country. I think the president’s rhetoric often foments it,’ Pritzker continued.

‘We’ve seen the January 6 rioters who clearly have tripped a new era of political violence,’ he tried to explain.

Former President Joe Biden declared on social media Wednesday that ‘There is no place in our country for this kind of violence.’

‘It must end now,’ he posted on social media, adding that ‘Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.’

The FBI and Utah police are desperately searching for Charlie Kirk’s killer after he was fatally shot in the neck during an event at Utah Valley University.

University officials confirmed that no suspect is in custody after man was seen being dragged away moments after the shooting.

‘There is no suspect in custody, it is an active investigation,’ Ellen Treanor, a university spokesperson, told the New York Times.

Orem Police, Utah Valley University Police, the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety are investigating.

Photos showed a heavy police presence at the campus, which has since been shutdown.

President Donald Trump has announced that all American flags will be lowered to half mast through Sunday at 6pm.

He said the order is ‘in honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot.’

Witnesses say they did not have to clear security to Charlie Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University.

The event was ticketed, but attendee Tyler McGettigan said he was not required to present the ticket to enter the amphitheater.

‘I was expecting when I got here that I’d have to pass through some kind of security, but that just wasn’t a thing,’ McGettigan told NBC News.

He added that there was no checkpoint before entering.

‘It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted.’

Charlie Kirk was killed after being shot in the neck at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

The gunman who shot Charlie Kirk is believed to have opened fire from a building about 200 yards away, a Utah Valley University spokesperson said.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox has promised that authorities will find Charlie Kirk’s killer.

‘I just got off the phone with President Trump,’ Cox tweeted. ‘Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy.’

He added: ‘Abby and I are heartbroken. We are praying for Charlie’s wife, daughter, and son.’

Vice President JD Vance shared a Truth Social post from Donald Trump confirming Charlie Kirk’s passing.

‘Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,’ Vance said.

Charlie Kirk, 31, has died after being shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump confirmed his death in a post on Truth Social.

‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote.

‘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.

He added: ‘Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’

Kirk was hit by a single bullet while speaking to crowds at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday afternoon.

The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and thrilling debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit by the gunfire.

He was rushed to hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries.

Donald Trump told New York Post reporter Diana Nerozzi that his ‘good friend’ Charlie Kirk is ‘not doing well.’

‘He’s not doing well,’ the president said. ‘It looks very bad.’

Trump said he is feeling ‘not good.’

‘[Kirk] was a very, very good friend of mine and he was a tremendous person,’ Trump added.

Charlie Kirk shared footage from his Utah event just minutes before reports of the shooting emerged.

A man was dragged away from Utah Valley University by police after the university confirmed that a suspect was taken into custody.

That information was then rolled back, and officials said that the shooter had not been arrested yet.

The 31-year-old talk show host and media personality was shot at the Utah Valley University campus.

Utah Valley University has closed its campus and advised those already there to wait for a police escort.

‘UVU campus is closed. Classes cancelled. Those on campus, secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus, the school said on X.

‘We ask for your patience throughout this process. We are providing updates as best as possible. This is an ongoing and unfolding event.’

A Charlie Kirk fan told the New York Times that Wednesday’s shooting echos the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

‘It’s absolutely sickening,’ said Ella Guidry, 22, who has attended several Turning Point USA events.

‘For people who follow him, it’s reminiscent of one day in Butler, Pennsylvania,’ she said, referencing the attempted assassination of Trump in July 2024.

A suspect was dragged away from Utah Valley University by police after Charlie Kirk was shot.

Witnesses yelled as the suspect, an elderly man who has not been identified, was walked away with his trousers down.

The arrest came at the same time that officials said a suspect had been taken into custody, however university spokesperson Scott Trotter later said that the man in the video was not believed to be the shooter.

Footage showed the crowd shouting at Charlie Kirk’s suspected shooter as he was dragged away by police.

‘How dare you, you f***ing monster!’ one yelled as the suspect, who has not been identified, was walked away with his trousers down.

Chilling photographs show the moment crowds ran off after a shot was fired at Charlie Kirk during his event at Utah Valley University.

Footage posted to social media shows Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone in the Sorensen Center courtyard, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogan, The American Comeback and Prove Me Wrong.

A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as a large volume of blood gushes from the left side of his neck.

Stunned spectators gasp and scream, and some run away.

Utah Valley University has shutdown campus after Charlie Kirk was shot during an event on Wednesday.

‘Campus closed, classes canceled until further notice. Police are investigating. Leave campus immediately. Follow police instructions,’ the school said on X.

‘Today at about 12.10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk. He was hit and taken from the location by his security. Campus police is investigating, a suspect is in custody.’

The gunman who shot Charlie Kirk is believed to have opened fire from a building about 200 yards away, a Utah Valley University spokesperson said.

‘We do know there was a shot fired from the top of the Losee Center,’ the university said in a statement.

‘Someone appeared to be at the top of that building or somewhere inside.’

The school has closed campus and canceled classes until further notice.

Students and staff are urged to ‘secure in place until police officers can escort you safely off campus’.

Justin Hickens, who told NBC News he was about 20 yards from the shooting, described witnessing blood splatter out of Charlie Kirk after gunshots rang out.

‘We heard a big loud shot, I saw a bunch of blood come out of Charlie, I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp, and everybody dropped to the ground,’ Hickens said.

‘I kind of turned around and all of a sudden I saw officers walking with this very elderly gentleman with white hair.

‘They had him arrested, they had him on his knees and he was screaming about his rights and all that stuff. They cuffed him and put him away.’

Sophie Anderson, 45, who was standing 100 feet from the stage when the shooting happened, told the Daily Mail that she almost got trampled as she ran off into the food court where she hid in a closet.

‘The second it happened, I knew it was a gunshot,’ said Anderson, who was joined at the event by her boss Phil Lyman, a former Utah state representative who was handing out hats on stage with Kirk just five minutes earlier.

‘He was shot in the neck and just fell over and he was just a fountain of blood,’ she said. ‘They carried him off. All these kids are just falling apart and balling.’

Someone is in custody following the shooting, according to an alert sent to students.

‘A single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker. Police are investigating now, suspect in custody,’ an alert from UVU said, according to the Deseret News.

Police have not revealed the suspect’s identity but footage from the scene showed officers taking an older man into custody.

A dramatic video circulating online shows a grey-haired man being restrained, telling those around him ‘I have the right to remain silent.’

A spokeswoman for Utah Valley University, Ellen Treanor, told the New York Times that Kirk was struck by a suspect who had fired from the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away.

A source familiar with Charlie Kirk’s condition has offered an update after he was shot in the neck.

‘Doctors are still working on him,’ the insider told Daily Mail.

A law enforcement source told the Associated Press that he is in ‘critical condition’.

Kirk was shot Wednesday afternoon on the first stop of his American Comeback Tour.

A petition signed by 7,000 people ahead of the event called for him to be banned from campus.

Charlie Kirk has lost a lot of blood, but is still alive, his colleagues told the Daily Caller.

The conservative firebrand is currently in the hospital.

Turning Point USA, in a statement to the outlet, wrote: ‘This is an ongoing situation.

We are in the process of confirming reports that Charlie Kirk was shot. He is in the hospital, and we are praying for him at this time.’

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he has been briefed on the shooting.

‘I am being briefed by law enforcement following the violence directed at Charlie Kirk during his visit to Utah Valley University today,’ he said.

‘We will continue to share updates. Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life.

‘Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act. Our prayers are with Charlie, his family, and all those affected.’

Donald Trump said he is praying for ‘great guy’ Charlie Kirk after he was shot.

‘We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!’ the president said on Truth Social.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has taken to X to offer his thoughts and prayers to Charlie Kirk.

‘We love you Charlie Kirk. Praying for you,’ he tweeted.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has expressed outrage over the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

The Democrat branded the attack as ‘disgusting, vile, and reprehensible’.

‘In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,’ he added.

FBI director Kash Patel says his agency is ‘closely monitoring’ the shooting at Utah Valley University.

‘Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected,’ he tweeted.

‘Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.’

JD Vance posted on X that he is saying a prayer for Charlie Kirk after he was reportedly shot at an event.

Charlie Kirk is the Founder and Executive Director of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization.

He is a MAGA influencer known for sharing his controversial opinions on social media.

Charlie Kirk has been shot in the neck at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem.

The conservative firebrand, 31, was speaking to students when someone opened fire at the school on Wednesday.

Horrific footage of the incident showed Kirk’s neck violently snapping back after shots rang out.

A person is in custody following the shooting, according to an alert sent to students.

Conservative political commentator Michael Knowles has joined in the call for prayers after shots rang out this afternoon.

Right-wing pundit Candace Owens also reacted to the shooting.

She wrote: ‘Everyone please stop what you are doing and pray for Charlie Kirk. Please.’

US Sen. Mike Lee says he is ‘closely’ monitoring the situation at the university.

He has offered his prayers for Charlie Kirk and all the students attending his event.

Shots have been fired at a Charlie Kirk event at Utah Valley University.

Footage from the scene showed event goers screaming as shots rang out on Wednesday.

Kirk published a post on X just minutes before reports of the shooting emerged.