Manhunt continues after killing of US political activist Charlie Kirk at Utah campus

According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, the shooting took place around 12:20 p.m. at a public event attended by about 3,000 people. Videos posted online show the moment of the shooting, with Kirk responding to a question about mass shootings in America when a single shot struck him in the neck. The crowd can be heard panicking as Kirk collapses, with blood visible.

Investigators believe the gunman, dressed in black, fired from a rooftop onto the university quad in what is described as a targeted attack. The FBI is co-leading the investigation with state and local law enforcement.

“We initially took in George Zinn as a suspect. He was later released and charged with obstruction by UVU police. A second suspect, Zachariah Qureshi, was taken into custody and released after interrogation with law enforcement. There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals. There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter. The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack. The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard. Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation,” the department stated.

President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social hours after the attack, writing: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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!”

Trump later released a video from the Oval Office, saying he was “filled with grief and anger” and calling the killing “a dark moment for America.” He vowed to pursue those responsible and signaled a wider crackdown on political violence.

“I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah. Charlie inspired millions, and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” the president said. “My administration will 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, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country.”

Earlier today, the White House announced that all US flags will be flown at half-mast in Kirk’s honor.

On the same day, a separate school shooting took place at Evergreen High School, where the suspected gunman shot two students before turning the weapon on himself, later dying from his injuries. Less than two weeks earlier, two children were killed and 17 others wounded in a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.