(NEXSTAR) — Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk is dead after being shot while speaking at a Utah university Wednesday.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
A law enforcement source confirmed to The Associated Press late Wednesday that no one was in custody and investigators were searching for a new person of interest, according to the official, who wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter and asked to remain anonymous.
Earlier in the day a person of interest was taken into custody, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed in a press conference. Authorities declined to call the person a suspect in the case.
Just before 6 p.m. MT, FBI Director Kash Patel, who announced earlier that authorities took someone into custody “for the horrific shooting,” posted on X: “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”
Authorities did not immediately identify the person who had been in custody, a motive or any criminal charge.
Authorities said they believed the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away. Earlier in the day, another man had been taken into custody but investigators determined he was not the shooter.
Kirk, 31, was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, during an event for the organization he co-founded, Turning Point. Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.”
A single gunshot was fired at 12:20 p.m., moments after Kirk had been asked about mass shootings. Videos online showed Kirk then reach for his neck with his right hand as he bled heavily. Another video posted to social media showed multiple people carrying Kirk to a vehicle.
Kirk was taken in a private vehicle to the hospital where he died, said Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. Mason said the preliminary investigation showed this was a targeted attack and only one shot was fired.
“I want to be very clear: This is a political assassination,” said Gov. Cox.
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, breaking the news of Kirk’s death. “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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
In the moments following the shooting, stunned spectators could be heard gasping and screaming before people started to run away. The Associated Press was able to confirm the videos were taken at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus, where Kirk was speaking Wednesday.
“We all heard a shooting, like a big bang. We thought it was confetti. Then, everyone started ducking down. And then, I look over at Charlie Kirk and I see blood coming from his neck,” UVU student Luke Pitman said.
Kirk asked about mass shootings, gun violence before shooting
Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about mass shootings and gun violence.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” the audience member asked. Kirk responded, “Too many.”
The questioner followed up, “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”
“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.
Then a single shot rang out.
Those in attendance told KTVX that while they had to get tickets to attend the event, they did not have to show those tickets on Wednesday. Some who had not gotten tickets ahead of time said they were able to attend as well. Another witness said they did not encounter a security checkpoint.
Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who was at the event, said in an interview on Fox News Channel that he heard one shot and saw Kirk go back.
“It seemed like it was a close shot,” Chaffetz said, who seemed shaken as he spoke. He said there was a light police presence at the event and Kirk had some security but not enough.
“Utah is one of the safest places on the planet,” he said. “And so we just don’t have these types of things.”
The UVU campus has closed for the day, officials confirmed.
Lawmakers from both sides react
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle — from former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senator Ted Cruz — have condemned the shooting and called for unity.
Trump has also ordered American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday at sunset in honor of Kirk, the New York Times reports.
What is Turning Point, and who was Charlie Kirk?
Kirk founded Turning Point in suburban Chicago in 2012 alongside William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.
But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.
Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.
Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.
Kirk is survived by his wife, former Miss Arizona Erika Frantzve, and their two children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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