Utah law enforcement officers swiftly reacted to the tragic shooting incident involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025. The dispatch audio captures the alarming moments right after the conservative speaker was tragically shot on the university grounds. (Source: Broadcastify)
The audio reveals the chaos following the incident, where an unknown assailant fatally shot Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, during his speaking engagement on campus that Wednesday afternoon.
The emergency call was made at approximately 12:20 p.m., shortly after Kirk’s engagement began as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” as confirmed by university officials. The event was organized by the local chapter of TPUSA.
A dispatcher said a single individual had been shot, and it was “unknown where the shooter went.”
“Currently, no direct connections have been established between the shooter and the individuals present,” stated a spokeswoman from the Utah Department of Public Safety. They are actively pursuing leads, indicating a continued investigation and search for the responsible shooter.
Efforts to track down the shooter were ongoing as of Thursday morning. Authorities reported that they have mapped the sniper’s escape path and recovered a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle.”
Kirk, who was 31 and a father of two, was engaged in discussions about pressing current events with students under a tent when the shooter attacked.
A single gunshot cracked through the air, according to videos of the event. Witnesses screamed in horror and fled for cover after the bullet struck Kirk in the neck. He was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead.
First responders work the scene where political activist Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. (George Frey/Getty Images)
Other video circulating online appears to show a dark-clad figure on a rooftop. Authorities said the gunshot came from about 200 yards away, likely from a perch atop the Losee Center building, which is on the opposite side of the plaza from where Kirk was speaking.
“It’s going to be basic police work here,” said David Katz, a former DEA special agent and the CEO of Global Security Group. “They should be pulling every cell phone ping from that small geographic area.”
This still image taken from video appears to show a figure wearing black on top of a roof across from where Kirk was fatally struck. (Credit: @Doug_Zimmer1/X)
He said Utah investigators would also be looking back at surveillance video for weeks to see if anyone accessed the same rooftop.
“They need to be focused on mechanisms of escape,” he said. “Every single car in the area. I imagine he didn’t get away on public transportation in Utah, so it’s got to be a vehicle. After the shot, it would have taken seconds for him to get down. I don’t know if he discarded the gun, but it would have been a simple matter of changing your shirt and leaving the area quickly.”
