OREM, Utah – A crowd gathered early in the fall semester under a white tent on a grassy university courtyard, eager to hear the speaker’s message. The scene was typical of a college environment, buzzing with the promise of sharing ideas and engaging in debates, except for one striking difference: its size.

Speaking was Charlie Kirk, a major figure in President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement, whose appearance at Utah Valley University attracted over 3,000 attendees. Students with backpacks watched from nearby buildings as Kirk, in a white T-shirt emblazoned with “Freedom,” energetically tossed red MAGA hats to his supporters like Frisbees.

Positioning himself under the canopy marked with slogans reading “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong,” Kirk took a handheld microphone to begin his address to the crowd.

As he answered a question about gun violence, a single shot cracked.

Campuses were Kirk’s frequent stops

Kirk, aged 31 and a podcaster, launched the conservative youth group Turning Point USA. He often embraced Christian nationalist ideas and made bold remarks about gender, race, religion, and politics. Kirk argued that enduring “some gun deaths every single year” was justified to uphold the Second Amendment for the protection of other God-given rights.

Kirk’s campus visits, where he frequently introduced these contentious ideas, were notable for sparking debate. He was known for directly engaging with progressive thinkers and challenging his audience to out-debate him on political issues.

His appearances often attracted protests; the Wednesday event was no exception. Online petitions, with thousands of signatures, urged for the cancellation of his appearance at both Utah Valley University and a forthcoming engagement on September 30 at Utah State University.

“As students at Utah Valley University, we have come to cherish an environment that strives for inclusivity and diversity,” one said. “Yet, the planned speaking engagement of Charlie Kirk threatens this ideal. Kirk’s presence and the messages he delivers stand in contrast to the values of understanding, acceptance, and progress that many of us hold dear.”

The university responded by affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry, and constructive dialogue.”

No metal detectors or bag checks

As was typical for Kirk’s events, security was light. There were six university police officers assigned to the event, plus some private security. There were no metal detectors or bag checks, students told The Associated Press. Some attendees said no one even checked their tickets.

As Kirk arrived, cheers rose. The crowd packed a terraced courtyard, and students, including some protesters, watched from nearby buildings or overlooks.

“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked.

Kirk responded, “Too many.”

The questioner followed up: “Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk asked.

Those were his last words before the bullet struck him. The shot came from a figure in dark clothing on a distant roof on campus, authorities said.

Blood gushed from Kirk’s neck. He held the microphone a moment, then slumped over.

Shock, followed by chaos and escape

“No! Charlie!” screamed an audience member.

“Go! Run! Go!” yelled another.

The crowd fled the plaza in multiple directions, some slipping and falling or leaping over benches as they did.

Cari Bartholomew, state director of Utah Moms for America, said she had taken her 17-year-old son out of school so he could attend Kirk’s event. They were joined by other women from the group and their kids. Bartholomew’s son was in line waiting to ask a question when Kirk was shot. Chaos ensued and she couldn’t find him as people ducked for cover and started running. She later learned her son was unharmed.

“All of us, we were trying to grab the little kids and getting them as near to us as possible,” she said.

Ryan DeVries, a 25 year-old who works in property management and volunteers as a first responder, said he was surprised by the lack of a security presence at the event; he left his firearm in his car as he anticipated having to walk through metal detectors.

He was weaving his way through the tightly packed crowd to pose a question to Kirk when he heard what sounded similar to a “popping” firework. Glancing at the stage after the shot was fired, DeVries saw Kirk’s head slumped.

A stampede rife with terror and panic soon erupted, said DeVries. Some attendees darted to a nearby building and ran through a water fountain to escape, he said. Others ducked and hid.

“People definitely feared for their lives. I could see it in their eyes. I could hear it in their voices. People were crying. People were screaming,” DeVries said.

After the panic subsided, Erynn Lammi, a 35-year old student who heard the gunshot, saw AirPods, phones, keys and trash strewn across the courtyard. When she returned home, she said, she cried her eyes out, feeling for Kirk’s wife and children as she was reminded of the loss of her own father when she was 13.

“Powerlessness,” Lammi said.

In hours, his death echoed across the country

The shooting drew condemnation from across the political spectrum as an example of the escalating threat of political violence in the United States, including the assassination of a Democratic Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington in May. President Donald Trump was shot in the ear on the campaign trail in western Pennsylvania last year.

“Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views,” said former President George W. Bush. “It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct. Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square.”

Democratic former President Joe Biden posted his condolences on X. “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now,” he wrote. “Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”

Late Wednesday night, the shooter remained at large. Police helicopters still circled over Orem in the early evening, and roadblocks caused congestion on the streets surrounding the campus. Armed officers walked around in small groups.

Just off campus, a man stood on a street corner holding a sign that read “R.I.P. Charlie.” A parade of trucks drove through town flying American flags in his honor.

At a nearby vigil, a few dozen people gathered, holding electric candles in the slanting afternoon light. As quiet attendees looked on, a chaotic afternoon behind them, speakers read Bible verses.

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Johnson reported from Seattle. AP reporters from around the country contributed.