Charlie Kirk Shot at Utah Event

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. A law enforcement official tells the AP that Kirk was hospitalized in critical condition. NBC News reports that disturbing videos from the scene show Kirk slumping down in his seat, with blood flowing from his neck. In an alert, the Orem, Utah, university said "a single shot was fired on campus toward a visiting speaker," Deseret News reports.The university initially said a suspect was in custody, but UVU spokesman Scott Trotter later said police had determined the man taken into custody was not the shooter, the New York Times reports. Videos on social media showed police detaining an older man at the event.

Kirk is the CEO and co-founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, the AP reports. "We are confirming that he was shot and we are praying for Charlie," said Aubrey Laitsch, the organization's public relations manager. Kirk, 31, is a close ally of President Trump and the "America First" movement. "We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot," the president said in a Truth Social post. "A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!" The shooting was condemned by Republican and Democratic politicians alike, with California Gov. Gavin Newsom calling it "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible," reports CNN.

Kirk was speaking at the university as part of his "American Comeback" tour. UVU professor Michael Andersen tells KSL News that he heard what he thought was a firework while Kirk, who was sitting in a tent, answered a question. "Then people started running out of the amphitheater and I saw some people trying to get up out of the terraces, Andersen says. "As I was walking away, as we were evacuating, the person next to me said he saw Charlie Kirk get hit." He says the atmosphere was "fairly panicked" after the shooting. This story has been updated with new developments.