BREAKING NEWSCharlie Kirk Confirmed Dead After Being Shot in the Neck at Utah Event
Charlie Kirk has been pronounced dead after being critically shot.
Sept. 10 2025, Updated 4:46 p.m. ET
Donald Trump confirmed conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been pronounced dead after being shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10. He was 31.
"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," the president wrote on Truth Social. "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!"
The Shooting
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday, September 10.
As OK! reported, Charlie was speaking at Utah Valley University for his youth organization Turning Point USA when the incident unfolded.
Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, who was at the event, told Fox News that the second inquiry Charlie was asked about was "transgender shootings" and "mass killings."
"When that happened, when that question came out, and he’s you know, he’s going to have the interaction, one shot. I was watching Charlie," he spilled, as reported by CNBC. "I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left."
Witness Recalls the Chaos
After the shooting news broke, Donald Trump told his social media followers to pray for Kirk.
Justin Hickens, another bystander, told NBC News, "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."
"After a few moments, people started running out of the outdoor pavilion area, knocking over barricades. I kind of turned around and all of a sudden I saw officers walking with this very elderly gentleman with white hair," he recalled. "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."
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The president confirmed Charlie Kirk's death via Truth Social.
While a man white gray hair was apprehended as the suspect, it was soon revealed they had the wrong person. At 5 p.m. ET, the suspect was still not in custody, according to CNN.
When the father-of-two's condition was still unknown, the POTUS penned on Truth Social, "We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!"
Kirk and wife Erika Frantzve welcomed two children during their marriage.
Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on X at the time, "Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father."
He followed up with a photo alongside Charlie, captioning it," Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour."
The activist married Erika Frantzve in 2021. The two welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and a son in May 2024.
