Utah authorities have not yet identified a suspect in the shooting of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk Wednesday afternoon.
The 31-year-old father of two later died from his injuries.
While a school spokeswoman initially said campus police had a suspect in custody, she later indicated he wasn’t the gunman.
“To my knowledge, that person has been released,” stated Ellen Treanor, Utah Valley University’s associate vice president of strategic communication management, to Fox News Digital. “Our campus police are collaborating with the Orem police in the investigation.”
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, tosses hats to the audience on May 1, 2025, at UC San Diego’s Town Square. (Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/LightRocket )
“We had a speaker on campus today at noon, Charlie Kirk, who was invited by a student organization, Turning Point USA,” Treanor remarked in a statement. “At about 12:20, shots were fired from a building roughly 200 yards away from the speaker. As far as we are aware, the individual was injured and was swiftly taken away by his security team.”
The campus was locked down by authorities, and classes were canceled for the day. Individuals on campus were instructed to shelter in place, and authorities conducted door-to-door checks to guide people off-campus. Entry and exit roads were sealed.
“We request your patience during this time,” the institution stated. “We are providing updates as frequently as possible. This is an active and developing situation.”
