{"id":163960,"date":"2025-09-11T06:13:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T06:13:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/charlie-kirk-shooting-manhunt-continues-as-trump-says-it-is-dark-moment-for-america-bbc\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T06:13:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T06:13:02","slug":"charlie-kirk-shooting-manhunt-continues-as-trump-says-it-is-dark-moment-for-america-bbc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/charlie-kirk-shooting-manhunt-continues-as-trump-says-it-is-dark-moment-for-america-bbc\/","title":{"rendered":"Charlie Kirk shooting: Manhunt continues as Trump says it is 'dark moment for America' – BBC"},"content":{"rendered":"

Manhunt After Trump Ally Killed At Campus Event
BBC News
This video can not be played
Conservative activist and influential Trump ally Charlie Kirk has died after being shot at a campus event in Utah
In a video message, Trump says he is "filled with grief and anger <\/a>at the heinous assassination", calling it a "dark moment for America"
Two people who had been arrested were later released – they had "no current ties"<\/a> to the shooting, officials say
The manhunt is still ongoing – but authorities don't seem to think he's still on campus, <\/i>our reporter at Utah Valley University writes<\/i><\/a>
Officials believe the shot came from a roof – BBC Verify has examined a video posted online after the shooting<\/a>
Kirk, who founded conservative group Turning Point USA aged 18<\/a>, was close to the president and his family – read our profile here<\/a>
The fatal shooting lays bare America's bloody and broken politics<\/i>, says our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher<\/a>
Edited by Jamie Whitehead and Dulcie Lee with Regan Morris reporting from Utah Valley university
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says the death of Charlie Kirk is "heartbreaking".
In a post on X, he says "a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband."
Starmer adds that we must be "free to debate openly and freely without fear – there can be no justification for political violence."
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper says she is "deeply shocked", while the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch describes the killing as "a blow to everything Western civilization stands for: open discourse, robust debate and peaceful dissent.\u201d
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey also posted on X, saying \u201cpolitical violence should have no place in society.\u201d
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage posted a black and white photograph of himself with Kirk, along with the message "this is a very dark day for American democracy".
As it approaches midnight in Utah, we're continuing to bring you the latest updates following the shooting of Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University.
If you're just joining us now \u2013 here are the details of what we know, and what we don\u2019t.
What we do know <\/b><\/p>\n

What we don't know<\/b><\/p>\n

You can read more in our news story – Charlie Kirk shooting: What we know about death of close Trump ally<\/a>
Regan Morris<\/strong>
Reporting from Orem, Utah<\/span>
The manhunt for Charlie Kirk\u2019s killer is still ongoing – but authorities don\u2019t seem to think he\u2019s still on campus at Utah Valley University.
While police were going door to door for a while, the lockdown is over, according to local police.
Classes are still cancelled, and police are still guarding the entrances to campus to stop people driving in.
But students who fled are being allowed to walk back onto campus to go home or get things from their vehicles.
It\u2019s not clear if police have any leads on where the shooter might be – but it doesn\u2019t look like a manhunt is happening on campus.
It's just coming up to 23:30 in Utah where Charlie Kirk – an influential ally of Donald Trump – was fatally shot about 12 hours ago while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University.
If you're just joining us now, here's a quick summary of the latest developments:
Stay with us as we bring you the latest updates.
In a lengthy post on X, US vice president JD Vance has paid tribute to Charlie Kirk as a "true friend" and a "great family man".
"A while ago, probably in 2017, I appeared on Tucker Carlson's Fox show to talk about God knows what. Afterwards a name I barely knew sent me a DM on Twitter and told me I did a great job. It was Charlie Kirk, and that moment of kindness began a friendship that lasted until today," he wrote in a post on X.
"Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind," Vance said. "Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives."
"I am on more than a few group chats with Charlie and people he introduced me to over the years. We celebrate weddings and babies, bust each other's chops, and mourn the loss of loved ones."
"You ran a good race, my friend," Vance wrote at the end of his post. "We've got it from here."
The sister of murdered British MP Jo Cox has condemned the "dreadful" killing of Charlie Kirk.
On a post on X, Kim Leadbeater said: "Whatever our political views and differences, there is no place for violence in our politics," she wrote.
"Tonight two children have lost their Dad. Devastating. We need a global reset on what we want our politics to look like."
Leadbeater, whose sister was killed in 2016 by a neo-Nazi, is currently a Labour MP in her sister's former constituency.
Nardine Saad<\/strong>
US reporter in Los Angeles<\/span>
Jimmy Kimmel is often in the crosshairs of President Trump
Here's some more reaction from US celebrities to the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, including those from opposing political viewpoints.
Late-night chat show host Jimmy Kimmel<\/b> on Instagram writes that "instead of angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human?"
Kimmel, who is often in the crosshairs of President Trump, adds: "On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fell victim to senseless gun violence."
Glee actor Kevin McHale <\/b>writes on X that "America is a failed state. "No other culture in the world ties identity to unrestricted gun ownership. It\u2019s so bizarre, and not worth the horror a crazy person (regardless of political party) with a gun can do to masses of people."
Nardine Saad<\/strong>
US reporter in Los Angeles<\/span>
Schwarzenegger said that "politics has become a disease" in the US
The sudden death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk came as a shock to many, including outspoken celebrities who have in the past opposed his conservative rhetoric.
Actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/b> writes that "politics has become a disease in this country, and it\u2019s deadly".
"We must… walk back from the extremes. If we can\u2019t agree on anything else, we must find agreement that we don\u2019t solve our debates with violence," Schwarzenegger writes on X.
Marvel star and Schwarzenegger's son-in-law Chris Pratt <\/b>adds he is "praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country. We need God\u2019s grace. God help us".
Watch two key moments from Kirk's career in politics, including the 2020 Republican convention when he addressed the audience at the age of 26.
He told Republican delegates about the "angst" of youth, and called for Americans to support Trump over Joe Biden in the election.
"I am here tonight to tell you, to warn you, that this election is a decision between preserving America as we know it, and eliminating everything that we love," he said.
This video can not be played
Watch: Charlie Kirk's speech from 2020 and interaction with Vance last year
Nardine Saad<\/strong>
US reporter in Los Angeles<\/span>
An online petition asking university administrators to cancel Kirk's speaking engagement on the UVU campus had drawn more than 6,000 supporters.
The conservative influencer, who had been speaking on his American Comeback Tour, was described by organisers on petition site Change.org as "a highly polarizing figure" who "does not align with the core values and ideology that Utah State University strives to epitomize".
"As a university deeply committed to promoting diversity and inclusion, it stands at odds with the messages frequently associated with Charlie Kirk and his platform. Allowing him to speak on our campus would not only misrepresent the values we hold dear but also create an environment where divisive rhetoric could flourish," the petition said.
According to US media, Utah Valley University had issued a statement citing the institution's commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue.
In a television interview on Fox News, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said he was "very angry with what happened today".
"Obviously they gotta catch this guy. We need a very quick death penalty prosecution. I don't wanna see this take forever and a day. We need justice for this," he said.
There are 27 states that execute inmates for certain violent crimes, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
The governor of Utah – where the incident took place – had earlier reminded journalists that the death penalty is still in force in Utah.
Utah is one of five states that authorise death by firing squad.
\"\"<\/span><\/span>Anthony Zurcher<\/strong>
North America correspondent<\/span>
As the 31-year-old Charlie Kirk sat under a tent, debating political opponents taking their turn at a microphone, many gathered on the lawns cheered – and some protested. Seconds later, they were all running in terror.
The activist was struck in the neck by a bullet, mortally wounded.
The images will be hard to forget – particularly for the many young conservatives for whom Kirk held celebrity status.
The leader of their movement, regardless of the ultimate motive behind his killing, will now be viewed as a martyr for the cause.
Kirk's killing is both another episode of shocking gun violence in America \u2013 and the latest in an ever-lengthening line of recent political violence.
It is difficult to divine where American politics goes from here, but the trajectory is bleak. Read more here.<\/a>
First Lady Melania Trump has also paid tribute to Kirk – who was married with two children.
In a post on X, she said that his "children will be raised with stories instead of memories, photographs instead of laughter, and silence where their father\u2019s voice should have echoed".
Kirk's life should "serve as a symbolic reminder that compassionate awareness elevates family, love, and country".
A moment of silence in the US House of Representatives for Kirk turned into a shouting match between Republicans and Democrats.
Republican Congresswoman Lauren Boebert had called for a prayer to be read out loud for Kirk, saying "silent prayers get silent results".
Several Democrats then shouted in response "What about the kids in Colarado"? in reference to a high school shooting that took place on the same day.
Watch the moment it happened here:
This video can not be played
Watch: Shouting erupts during moment of silence for Charlie Kirk
A crowd has gathered at the Utah State Capitol for a vigil after Kirk's shooting. Here are images we're getting from the scene.
Two people who were arrested and later released in relation to the shooting death of Charlie Kirk have "no current ties" to the fatal incident, according to Utah authorities.
"This shooting is still an active investigation," Utah's Department of Public Safety – which covers law enforcement in the state – has said in an update.
The incident was a "targeted attack," the department says, with the suspect believed to have fired the fatal shot from the roof of a building to the courtyard where Kirk was addressing a large crowd.
About 3,000 people were at the event which was held in the university quad, an outdoor bowl courtyard.
The university had provided six security officers for the talk, in addition to Kirk's private security detail.
A manhunt for the shooter is still ongoing.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is among those mourning Kirk.
"Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era," wrote Kennedy, whose father, US senator Robert F Kennedy, was assassinated while campaigning for president in 1968
His uncle John F Kennedy (JFK) was also assassinated during his time as the 35th US president.
"My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country's relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for our country," said Kennedy.
His cousin, Jack Schlossberg, a commentator on the other side of the political spectrum, has also spoken out.
"Charlie Kirk was assassinated today. We are all weaker because of it. A tragedy. I am thinking of his family," wrote Schlossberg.
In 2012, at the age of 18, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, a right-wing political organisation that aims to spread conservative ideals in US colleges.
Turning Point USA's mission, according to its website, is to "promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government".
But what started off as a college conservatism activism group has since become a "right-wing influencer network", technology reporter Taylor Lorenz told the BBC earlier in a TV interview.
And Charlie Kirk, its founder, became "one of the most powerful voices in the young right-wing conservative movement", she said.
The organisation now has chapters in more than 850 colleges and holds regular public events.
Its content, especially its podcasts, has been widely credited for getting young people to vote for Donald Trump during the 2024 election.
And Trump recognises the importance of the organisation to his popularity: last year, he gave a speech at a Turning Point conference in Arizona.
\"\"<\/span><\/span>Bernd Debusmann Jr<\/strong>
Reporting from Washington DC<\/span>
Even though Charlie Kirk didn't have a formal position in the White House, he was someone who was extremely influential and had very close ties with the Trump family.
His Turning Point organisation had very close links with the Trump presidential campaign, as Kirk was able to deliver a conservative message to young voters.
Kirk's podcast platform with its millions of followers has been credited by the Republican Party as being one of the key factors that led to Trump's win in the election.
Kirk's shooting hits especially hard as Trump survived an assassination attempt in July last year.
When Trump speaks of that incident, he is quite reflective. In the coming days we will see Trump reaching out to Kirk's family now that he has passed away.
Trump was scheduled to have hold a dinner on the Rose Garden patio but it's unclear if that's still happening.
For our audiences in Asia who are at the start of their day, here is recap of the fatal shooting of conservative youth influencer Charlie Kirk in the US:<\/p>\n

Stay with us as we bring your the latest updates.
Copyright \u00a9 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.<\/a><\/p>\n

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