Explainer: Fatal shooting of US activist Charlie Kirk in Utah

Charlie Kirk, the chief executive and co-founder of the conservative youth organisation Turning Point USA, has been shot dead at an event at a Utah college.

Kirk was a top podcaster, culture warrior and ally of US president Donald Trump. The 31-year-old bolstered the Republican party’s get-out-the-vote drive in the 2024 US election based on the theory that there were thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote, but could be persuaded to back him.

His killing is the latest example of political violence in the US, spanning a range of political ideologies and affecting both major political parties.

Here are the key details about Kirk’s shooting, and his significance in American politics:

-Single shot fire from a roof

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University when authorities said the assailant fired from a roof.

Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent.

A single shot rings out and Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck.

Utah Valley is the state’s largest public university with a roll of 47,000. It is about 40 miles south of the state capital of Salt Lake City.

-Officials believe the assailant acted alone

The shooter targeted one person, said Beau Mason, the commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety.

Utah governor Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination”.

A “person of interest” was in custody Wednesday evening, Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced.

A makeshift memorial for Mr Kirk was set up at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA PA Media

Officials had no information indicating a second person was involved, the governor said.

Officers were seen looking at a photo on their phones and showing it to people to see if they recognised a person of interest.

Authorities said the assailant wore dark clothing.

Two people were detained on Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting, and both were released, Utah public safety officials said.

The university said the campus was immediately evacuated and remained closed. Classes were cancelled until further notice. Those still on campus were asked to stay in place until police officers could safely escort them out.

-Kirk’s prominence rose with Trump

Kirk was just 18 when he co-founded Turning Point in suburban Chicago in 2012 with William Montgomery, a Tea Party activist. They aimed to take their ideas for low taxes and limited government to college campuses across America.

Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the Republican nomination for president in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to the then-candidate’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, during the general election campaign.

The Trump connection helped fuel Turning Point’s rise to prominence. Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on US cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the president.

Contributions to the group doubled and then tripled — eventually climbing to 79.2 million dollars (£58.5 million) in 2022, according to an analysis of publicly available tax filings.

A vigil was held for Charlie Kirk outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital PA Media

The group states that it now has a presence on nearly 4,000 high school and college campuses, operating as a conservative lifestyle brand that promotes hundreds of online influencers.

Kirk was known for provocative statements on race that he used to court Gen Z voters.

“I’m sorry. If I see a black pilot, I’m going to be like: ‘Boy, I hope he’s qualified,’” Kirk said during a 2024 podcast episode with fellow right-wing activist Jack Posobiec.

Kirk staunchly opposed the enactment of Juneteenth – the June 19 commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States – as a federal holiday. He said the move to elevate the date was motivated by “anti-American” sentiment that promoted “a neo-segregationist view” that he claimed sought to supplant Independence Day.

-Bipartisan condemnation

Republicans and Democrats alike swiftly condemned the attack.

Trump ordered flags lowered to half-mast and issued a presidential proclamation. The president, who sustained a minor ear injury when he was shot at a campaign event last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship.

He described Kirk on Truth Social as a “great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”

Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom, who last March hosted Kirk on his podcast, posted on X: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”