by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
WASHINGTON/OREM, UTAH (Worthy News) – U.S. President Donald J. Trump said late Wednesday he is “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk” after the conservative born-again Christian influencer was gunned down during a campus event in the western U.S. state of Utah.
Trump made the remarks in a video address from the White House posted on his Truth Social media platform. “I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. He inspired millions, and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” the president said.
“This is a dark moment for America,” Trump added, after ordering U.S. flags to be flown at half-mast at official sites nationwideand abroad.
“As a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk … I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government … until sunset, September 14, 2025,” the White House proclamation read.
The order also requires flags at all U.S. embassies, consular offices, and facilities abroad to be flown at half-staff for the same period.
A TARGETED ATTACK
Authorities said Kirk, 31, was struck by a single bullet in what appeared to be a targeted attack during an outdoor Turning Point USA event on Wednesday at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, a midsize city south of Salt Lake City.
Witnesses reported the shooter fired from a rooftop some distance away while dressed in dark tactical clothing.
He killed a man who personified the combative, populist conservatism that reshaped the Republican Party in the Trump era.
Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, rallying younger generations and frequently venturing onto liberal-leaning campuses where Republicans were wary to engage.
His visit to UVU had been divisive, with nearly 1,000 students signing a petition urging administrators to bar him.
The university defended the appearance, citing free speech rights and its “commitment to intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue.”
‘POLITICAL ASSASSINATION’
Yet the shooter apparently disagreed, prompting Utah Governor Spencer Cox to label the killing a “political assassination.”
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, initially said a suspect had been taken into custody.
Cox also spoke of a “person of interest.” But later Wednesday, Patel confirmed the individual was released after interrogation.
Authorities said no one remained in custody, and investigators sought a new person of interest.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Cox said. “I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.”
The killing of Kirk adds to mounting concerns over political violence in the United States, where public figures across the ideological spectrum have increasingly faced threats and attacks in recent years.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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