US President Donald Trump has described the killing of his ally, Charlie Kirk, as a “dark moment for America.”
Charlie Kirk, a well-known conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was shot dead on Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Witnesses said he was addressing a large crowd when a gunshot rang out. He collapsed in his chair as panic spread across the hall.
Investigators believe the bullet was fired from a rooftop by an attacker dressed in black. The shooter is still at large, and a manhunt is underway. Police have described the incident as a targeted killing.
Reacting to the tragedy, President Trump called Kirk a “martyr for truth.” He blamed the radical left for spreading hateful rhetoric that, according to him, fuels violence in the country.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst criminals,” Trump said in a video message posted on his Truth Social platform. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism we’re seeing today, and it must stop right now.”
Trump promised justice, vowing that his administration will find those behind the attack. “We will track down every single person and organization that supported or funded this atrocity,” he said.
Former President Barack Obama also reacted to the killing, stressing that “violence has no place in our democracy.”
Charlie Kirk was a key figure in boosting Trump’s support among young voters. His death has sparked widespread shock and condemnation both in the US and abroad.
