Popular pro-Israel activist Charlie Kirk assassinated at Utah university

Popular far-right political activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Before his death, an online petition had gathered thousands of signatures urging the university to cancel his talk.

Kirk, 31, played a key role in helping Trump build support among young voters, and his death was mourned by the US president.

Videos of the incident surfaced online, showing Kirk addressing a large crowd when a gunshot rang out. As the camera shifted, Kirk could be seen collapsing into his chair as panic spread through the audience.

At the time, he was wearing a white T-shirt with the word “freedom” printed across it.

Investigators initially suspected that the shot was fired from the campus rooftop by an individual dressed in black, in what appeared to be a targeted killing.

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event, told Fox News that Kirk had just been answering a question about “transgender shooters, mass shooters” when the gunfire erupted.

Charlie Kirk was the leader of the largest conservative youth movement in the United States, which he co-founded in 2012 at the age of 18. His killing sparked a heated debate online, with many condemning the act and stressing that political disagreements should never lead to violence.

A vocal supporter of Israel, Kirk frequently denied genocide in Gaza and was known for making disparaging remarks against Palestinians.

President Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social, writing, “In honor of Charlie Kirk, a truly Great American Patriot, I am ordering all American Flags throughout the United States lowered to Half Mast until Sunday evening at 6 pm”

He went on to blame his death on what he called the rhetoric of the “radical left.”

In a video posted on his Truth Social account, Trump said, “Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people.”

Calling the shooting a “dark moment for America,” Trump vowed that his administration would hunt down those who contributed to the killing of Kirk and other acts of political violence, including the organisations that fund and support it.