Authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the FBI director confirmed. Utah Governor Spencer Cox referred to the individual as a “person of interest.”
Shortly before a press briefing with law enforcement and Governor Cox, Director Kash Patel posted on social media that law enforcement had taken someone into custody linked to the tragic event.
The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi.
We will provide updates when able.— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 10, 2025
“We currently have a person of interest in custody who is being interviewed,” Governor Cox said Wednesday at Utah Valley University, where he called the killing of Charlie Kirk a “political assassination.” “At this time, there is no evidence to suggest that anyone else was involved,” he added, speaking alongside local police and FBI agents.
Earlier, before the governor’s remarks, President Donald Trump took to social media to announce that flags would be lowered to half-staff in honor of the Turning Point USA co-founder.
In honor of Charlie Kirk, President Trump is ordering all American flags throughout the U.S. to be lowered to Half Mast. pic.twitter.com/FOYHIZU2FD
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) September 10, 2025
In the wake of Kirk’s death, a previously scheduled Wednesday night event featuring political commentator Ben Shapiro at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, was canceled. Shapiro had been set to speak about his new book.
During a press briefing on the shooting and the ongoing investigation, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason clarified that a man who had been taken into custody shortly after the incident was not the suspect in question. That individual, George Zim, is facing unrelated charges.
“He has been booked by the Utah Valley University Police Department for obstruction of justice,” Mason said, adding that only one shot had been fired during the incident.
Earlier reports: At 12:58 PM, Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative activist, was reported by President Donald Trump on social media to have died following the shooting at a Utah college rally. Kirk was 31.
Updated at 12:58 PM: Kirk was in “critical condition” after being shot at the university. According to the Associated Press, citing a law enforcement source, the conservative activist had been struck in the throat and was hospitalized.
The situation remained fluid, with initial confusion over whether a suspect had been apprehended. Utah Valley University reported that the bullets that hit Kirk came from a campus building near where he had been seated during the rally.
Tragically, the shooting in Utah was followed by another incident in Denver, where gunfire at a school left at least three students injured.
Details remain limited, but reports indicate that only one shot was fired and that a person has been taken into custody.
Video shared online from the outdoor gathering at Utah Valley University, which drew a large crowd, appears to show Kirk being struck in the neck. His current condition has not yet been confirmed.
As the news spread, prominent figures associated with the Trump administration expressed their concern for the influential MAGA voice. Both President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance reacted quickly on social media.
“We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, describing Kirk as “a great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
VP Vance took a similar stance.
Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2025
The 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA was known for touring college campuses to engage in debates with students and audience members across the political spectrum. Wednesday marked the kickoff of his American Comeback tour, where his “Prove Me Wrong” approach served as a central theme for the dozen or so stops planned for the fall.
Kirk’s debating style, campus tours, and efforts to connect with younger voters had become so emblematic of today’s culture wars that they were parodied in the opening episode of South Park’s 27th season. Earlier this year, California Governor Gavin Newsom launched his new podcast series with an interview featuring Kirk, during which the two found common ground on several issues a clear move by Newsom to expand his reach among conservative audiences.
Today, Newsom described Kirk’s shooting as “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 10, 2025
Amid a hectic news day, which included Russian drones over Poland and further reporting on the Jeffrey Epstein cover-up, the shooting of Charlie Kirk dominated coverage on CNN, MSNBC, and the BBC.
Fox News contributor and former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz told viewers on the Rupert Murdoch-owned network that he had witnessed the incident and the shooting firsthand.
Chaffetz recounted the moment in detail: “The first question was about religion, and Charlie spoke for 15 to 20 minutes. The next question was about transgender and mass shooters. In the middle of that, the shot rang out. I saw Charlie fall back… everyone hit the ground, people screamed, and then they ran. There was some police presence, but no security checks at the entrance. Charlie had security in front, but the shot seemed aimed right at him. He was under an awning, and there weren’t many vantage points. It was a bright, sunny day in Utah. I just hope he survives.”
This attack comes amid a worrying increase in politically motivated violence in the U.S. Last year, President Trump survived an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania and faced another possible threat in Florida. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were victims of a break-in and arson at the governor’s residence in April.
In June, Minnesota Democrat Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were fatally shot by conservative-leaning Vance Boelter, while State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette were injured. In August, Patrick Joseph White, reportedly angry over vaccine mandates, fired nearly 200 rounds at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, killing police officer David Rose.
Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who survived a gunshot to the head in 2011, shared her prayers and support for Kirk on Wednesday.
I’m horrified to hear that Charlie Kirk was shot at an event in Utah.
Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.
Mark and I are praying for Charlie’s…
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) September 10, 2025
Gabby Giffords, who survived a gunshot to the head in 2011, is married to Mark Kelly, Arizona’s senior senator.
In response to Kirk’s shooting, a scheduled event tonight featuring Daily Wire co-founder and prominent conservative Ben Shapiro at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley has been canceled, according to deadline.
