Conservative US activist Charlie Kirk shot (VIDEOS)

Charlie Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and executive director of the non-profit organization Turning Point USA, was shot during a public event in the state of Utah on Wednesday, according to several media outlets, citing eyewitness video from Utah Valley University.

Warning: graphic video

The incident occurred at his ‘Prove Me Wrong’ booth, video shows as gunfire erupted. 

According to AP, citing an unnamed law enforcement official, “Kirk is in critical condition at a hospital.”

Witnesses and video footage indicate he was shot in the neck while speaking under a tent. Campus police confirmed that shots were fired. Law enforcement responded promptly, and the incident is reportedly under investigation. 

An eyewitness video has appeared on X that purportedly depicts the arrest of a suspect in Orem, Utah. 

Later on Wednesday, Desert News media outlet quoted UVU spokesperson Scott Trotter as denying previous reports of the shooter’s arrest, and stating that the “suspect is not in custody.”

“Police are still investigating Campus is closed for the rest of the day,” he reportedly added.

According to CBS news, citing UVU, the person who had previously been detained has now been released.

Newsweek has quoted a university spokesperson as saying that a “single shot was fired from the top of a nearby building roughly 200 yards from the venue” around 20 minutes into the event.

In a post on X, Utah Valley University later confirmed that “today at about 12:10 a shot was fired at the visiting speaker, Charlie Kirk.”

“He was hit and taken from the location by his security,” the statement read, adding that the “suspect is in custody.”

On Truth Social, US President Donald Trump urged, “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot… GOD BLESS HIM!” while calling him “a great guy from top to bottom.” In a post of his own, Vice President J.D. Vance also called on his subscribers to “say a prayer for Charlie Kirk.”

Kirk began his rise to prominence when he co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 – an organization that describes itself as a “national student movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.”

The activist has attracted a social media following, holding debates with liberals in academia.

Kirk backed Trump ahead of the 2016 US election, as well as the 2024 vote.

He has emerged as a vocal critic of ‘woke’ policies, and also denounced US support for Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.

Commenting on the shooting in Utah on his Telegram channel, Russian presidential aide Kirill Dmitriev hailed Kirk for his calls for dialogue with Moscow.

“The attempt on the life of a person advocating common sense and opposing hysteria highlights the depth of the rift in the US,” the Russian official wrote.