Who Was Charlie Kirk? US Conservative Activist, Donald Trump's Ally Shot Dead At Utah Event

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of US President Donald Trump, was shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday. The shooting which led to his death, drew an outpouring of shock and condemnation from Republicans and Democrats figures like US President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama.

Kirk, 31, was speaking at an outdoor event before a crowd at Utah Valley University when a single shot was fired from a nearby building, as per Bloomberg report.

"No one 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 me, and now, he is no longer with us," Trump shared on social media.

Kirk, born and raised in the affluent suburbs of Chicago, began his conservative advocacy from a young age. In 2012, as a senior in high school, he wrote a column for the right-wing media outlet Breitbart News alleging that students were being indoctrinated by textbooks with a liberal slant.

The piece propelled him to an appearance on Fox Business Network and a speaking engagement at a nearby college campus, as per a Rolling Stones report. Kirk volunteered as a teenager for the successful 2010 Senate campaign of Mark Kirk. He did briefly attend Harper College but soon dropped out, and in 2012, co-founded the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA with Montgomery, who became his mentor.

Kirk served as the executive director and public face of Turning Point, where he raised money from prominent conservatives and made it the most visible young conservatives in the country.

The nonprofit is "committed to identifying, educating, training, and organising students to promote freedom," and promotes the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government, among high school and college students, according to Kirk’s LinkedIn profile.

In 2018, he was selected for the Forbes '30 Under 30' list of rising young entrepreneurs. He made thousands of media appearances in his activist career and wrote for many right-leaning press outlets. He would often publicly debate college students and personalities across the political spectrum.

Kirk led a substantial portion of the ground game for Trump in 2024. Turning Point USA’s advocacy arm worked hand-in-hand with Trump’s 2024 campaign to help turn out voters. He is survived by his wife and two young children.