SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Utah college where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was tragically shot and killed on Wednesday is Utah’s largest public university, largely due to rapid enrollment growth over recent years, yet it remains less renowned than other institutions in the state.
Founded in 1941 under a different name, Utah Valley University began as a vocational school focused on war production training. It didn’t start offering four-year degrees until the 1990s—a change that led to a fivefold increase in student numbers over three decades. The university now enrolls nearly 47,000 students, according to its website.
Almost 90% of the students at the Orem-based university are from Utah, and 18% are 25 years or older. Popular majors include business and psychology.
The university’s campus is positioned conveniently off a major highway, approximately 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, home to the state’s flagship University of Utah.
It is also located only a few miles from Brigham Young University, which is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church.
Utah is among 14 states that permit some form of concealed carry of firearms on public university campuses. FBI Director Kash Patel initially stated via social media that a “subject” had been detained but later clarified that the person was released following questioning.
A person of interest in Wednesday’s shooting was in custody, officials said, but no information has been released about whether that person was legally carrying a weapon.
The Utah Valley University Wolverines have several athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball teams that play in the Western Athletic Conference.
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