The entertainment world is reeling from a somber update. Charlie Kirk, the outspoken political commentator, has passed away at 31. CNN broke the news on October 9, 2025, at 4:45 p.m. ET, confirming the worst fears after a tragic incident.
President Donald Trump shared his grief on Truth Social shortly after hearing the news. “The great, and still legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” Trump wrote. He praised Kirk, saying, “Nobody 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 by me, and now he is no longer with us.” Trump added, “Melania and I send our condolences to his beautiful wife Erika and to his family. Charlie, we love you!”
The sad story began on Wednesday, September 10, 2025. Kirk was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. The conservative pundit was in the middle of a question-and-answer session with students when a shot suddenly rang out. He was reportedly hit in the neck.
Videos shared on social media showed the chaos that followed. Police confirmed to The Associated Press that Kirk was rushed to a local hospital. He was initially listed in critical condition. The university quickly sent out an alert. It stated, “A single shot was fired on campus at a visiting speaker. Police are now investigating; the suspect is in custody.” Authorities confirmed the suspect’s arrest to The Associated Press.
Kirk, at 31, was a prominent voice. He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, the organization that hosted the event. Aubrey Laitsch, a public relations manager for Turning Point USA, issued a statement. “This is a developing situation. We can confirm that Charlie Kirk has been shot. He is in the hospital and we are praying for him at this time,” Laitsch said. Sadly, his condition worsened.
CNN reported that the shot came from a campus building about 200 meters away from where Kirk was speaking.
Before the devastating news of his death, President Donald Trump had already reacted to the shooting. He posted on Truth Social, asking for prayers. “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” wrote Trump, 79. He called Kirk “a great man from head to toe” and ended with, “God bless him!”
Former U.S. Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who represented Utah from 2009 to 2017, witnessed the whole ordeal. Chaffetz, 58, spoke to Fox News by phone shortly after the shooting. “There were a lot of people there,” he recalled. “He came out, he was throwing hats, pumping up the crowd.”
Chaffetz described the Q&A session. Kirk first answered a question about religion. Then, he was asked about “transgender shootings” and “mass killings.” “When that happened, when that question came out, and he was going to answer, a shot,” Chaffetz remembered. “I was watching Charlie. I can’t say I saw blood. I can’t say I saw him take the hit, but I did see him immediately fall backward to his left.”
Chaffetz added that the scene quickly turned chaotic. “As soon as the shot went off, everybody hit the deck and started dispersing, yelling and screaming, as you can imagine. And I went from being concerned about Charlie Kirk to making sure our daughter and son-in-law were OK.”