WASHINGTON — Prominent members from both Republican and Democratic parties united in grief to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk and denounce violence motivated by politics following his fatal shooting on Wednesday at a Turning Point USA gathering at Utah Valley University.

Calling Kirk “great, and even legendary,” President Donald Trump announced his death on Truth Social on Wednesday afternoon.

“No one in America understood or connected with the country’s youth better than Charlie,” expressed Trump. “He was loved and admired by EVERYONE.”

The White House officials spent the afternoon gathering information about the shooting and Kirk’s status, with an air of shock filling the area, as Kirk, 31, held respect and was a valued supporter of Trump’s team. As doors closed on the room where the officials met, the sound of an expletive surfaced.

Once news of Kirk’s death reached the public, the flags at the White House were promptly lowered to half-staff in his honor. Similarly, Eric Trump stated that flags would also be lowered in tribute at all Trump-owned properties.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat often critical of Trump and who had Kirk as a guest on his podcast earlier this year, condemned the shooting on X shortly after it happened.

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying, vile, and disgusting,” Newsom stated. “In the USA, we must stand against political violence in ALL its forms.”

Kirk, who co-founded Turning Point, which organizes and mobilizes young conservative activists, died after he was rushed to a hospital. He had been speaking about mass shooting incidents involving trans people when he was shot in the neck. Gruesome video of the attack quickly proliferated on social media.

While some politicians used the shooting to make political points — including Republicans accusing liberals of inciting violence with rhetoric and Democrats arguing for tighter gun regulations — most stuck to more unifying messages offering prayers for Kirk and his family, condemnations of violence or both.

Vice President JD Vance posted a prayer on X: “Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.” In an earlier message, sent shortly after Kirk was shot, he praised Kirk for engaging in open conversation with allies and critics alike.

“If you actually watch Charlie’s events — as opposed to the fake summaries — they are one of the few places with open and honest dialogue between left and right,” Vance wrote. “He would answer any question and talk to everyone.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, wrote on X: “I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family.

“Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence,” she added.

In the immediate aftermath, it was not clear who shot Kirk. But some elected officials and prominent figures were quick to point fingers and try to score political points.

“Conservative, liberal, whatever you are, you shouldn’t be shot for your beliefs,” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., told NBC News. “And I hope that every single Democrat across the country will stand up and acknowledge that they have a problem within their party.”

Mace rejected the idea that Republicans might be equally responsible for the killing of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, in June.

“Some raging leftist lunatic put a bullet through [Kirk’s] neck, and you want to talk about Republicans right now?” she said. “No. No, not at all. No this is on — the Democrats own this.”

Similarly, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., who credited Kirk with getting her engaged in politics, blamed progressives and the media for his death.

“EVERY DAMN ONE OF YOU WHO CALLED US FASCISTS DID THIS,” she wrote on X. “You were too busy doping up kids, cutting off their genitals, inciting racial violence by supporting orgs that exploit minorities, protecting criminals, and stirring hate. YOU ARE THE HATE you claim to fight. Your words caused this. Your hate caused this.”

Billionaire Elon Musk, a former Trump administration official and the owner of X, wrote, “The Left is the party of murder.” He posted the message before Kirk’s death was confirmed.

Some leading Democrats denounced gun violence in the hours after Kirk’s shooting, amplifying their long-articulated view that firearms should be more heavily regulated, while others stayed away from political and policy pronouncements.

“Condemning another absolutely disgraceful act of gun violence,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., wrote on X. “My thoughts & prayers are w/ Charlie Kirk & his family in this terrible moment & we are all grateful for first responders who immediately jumped into action.”

Likewise, former Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Arizona, who survived an assassination attempt more than a decade ago and who runs an eponymous nonprofit organization dedicated to ending gun violence, pointed to the fact that figures on the left and the right have been shot and killed this year.

“This summer, America has seen multiple politically-motivated assassinations — first of a Democratic legislator, now of a Republican activist — because dangerous people turned to guns to express their disagreements,” Giffords said in a statement. “Both parties have been targeted, and both parties share a moral and patriotic duty to take meaningful action to stop gun crime from claiming more lives.”

Trump survived an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania in July 2024 after a sniper’s bullet hit him in the ear. In a separate incident, a man accused of attempting to assassinate him at one of his golf clubs in September 2024, is on trial in Florida.

The Republican governor of Utah, where Kirk was killed, and the Democratic governor of Arizona, where he lived, called, respectively, for justice and calm.

“Working with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, we will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said after having spoken to Trump.

“This tragedy is not about who Charlie Kirk supported politically,” Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said. “It is about the devastating loss of a father, a neighbor, and an Arizonan who called this state home, and whose life was cut short by senseless violence. We must stand together in rejecting violence, lowering the temperature of our politics, and recommitting ourselves to the values of civility, respect, and community that American democracy requires.”