Manhunt Underway for Assassin of Conservative Christian Charlie Kirk
The assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sparked an outpouring of grief, shock, and anger. In the words of Utah Governor Spencer Cox, “Our nation is broken.”
The 31-year-old founder of the youth education group Turning Point USA was an outspoken Christian who leaves behind a wife and two young children.
A massive manhunt is underway for his killer. Investigators believe the shooter, dressed in dark clothes and wearing a mask, fired one round from a high-powered rifle from a rooftop approximately 200 yards away. Two suspects were taken into custody but later released.
Authorities say the sniper is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after shooting Kirk. The suspect appeared to be of college age but has reportedly not been identified. While his motive and whereabouts are unknown, officials say they have now tracked the shooter’s movements on the campus in the run-up to the assassination.
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Kirk was shot in the neck while answering questions at an outdoor rally of about 3,000 people at Utah Valley University. Terrified students ran for cover while Kirk was whisked away to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
One witness, identified as Danielle, tearfully described what she saw. “You just see his neck just like open up and there’s just like so much blood that just came out,” she said. “It was horrible.”
Other eyewitnesses spoke of the shock and horror they and their children experienced. Cari Bartholomew, the state director of Utah Moms for America, had taken her 17-year-old son to the event, along with other moms and their children.
Her son was in line waiting to ask a question when the gunshot rang out, and she couldn’t see how her son was impacted in that moment. “All of us, we were trying to grab the little kids and getting them as near to us as possible,” she said.
PHOTO: A prayer vigil at Timpanogos Regional Hospital for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Alex Goodlett)
Kirk founded Turning Point USA in 2012, galvanizing Gen Z and Millennial voters to the conservative cause and helping put President Trump in office. He spoke against antisemitism and in defense of Israel’s right to defend itself in its war with Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called him “a lion-hearted friend of Israel.” Kirk also spoke against abortion and LGBTQ activism.
Speaking at the 2020 Republican National Convention, Kirk said, “I see the angst of young people, as well as the challenges facing new parents.”
He told CBN’s David Brody that he often put Jesus at the center of his message. “I challenge Christians to be as bold and evangelistic and persuasive as atheists are,” Kirk said, “And sometimes Christians don’t.”
President Trump posted a video tribute to Kirk. “He’s a martyr for truth and freedom, and there’s never been anyone so respected by youth,” he said. “Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith. And we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox lamented the state of the U.S. after the shooting in his home state, saying he’s praying for Kirk’s family, “and that all of us, all of us, will try to find a way to stop hating our fellow Americans.”
Gov. Cox called the murder a “political assassination” and promised to prosecute the killer to the fullest extent of the law, while pointing out that his state has the death penalty.
PHOTO: A prayer vigil at the Capitol in Salt Lake City to honor Charlie Kirk after he was shot and killed at an event at Utah Valley University, Sept. 10, 2025. (Scott G Winterton/The Deseret News via AP)
Former Secret Service Agent Tim Miller told CBN News that Americans, especially the church, should adjust to the rise of evil acts like this.
“We’re seeing every day increased levels of violence,” he said. “Just like scripture said would occur. And we as believers must rise up and become people of vigilance and security. And I tell this to everybody. This is not about fear, it’s about wisdom and preparation.”
President Trump ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until Sunday in honor of Kirk.
Congress held a moment of silence, but a request for the House to say a prayer led to a shouting match between Democrats and Republicans. Multiple reports indicate that it started when a Republican asked for a prayer to be said aloud, and one or more Democrats shouted, “No.”
On a Utah sidewalk after the shooting, one young man summed up the day’s events with a poignant reflection. Samuel Monahan, 14, embraced his parents in prayer, saying, “This is what happens when we’re without God.”
The teenager said he admired Kirk for being a man of God who truly cared about people. As he mourned the senseless killing, he said, “It didn’t have to be that way because we all bow our heads under one flag and under one God.”