MAGA Influencer Charlie Kirk Shot in Neck at Utah Event

Charlie Kirk, a right-wing influencer and founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was shot in the neck in Utah, according to a report from Deseret News and videos posted to social media. Kirk is alive and in critical condition, according to the Associated Press.

The 31-year-old was speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, and a single shot was fired at Kirk, according to the news outlet. Video posted to X captured the shooting, which shows Kirk’s head jolting backward after what sounds like a gunshot.

Content warning: The video below is disturbing.

This is insane. Charlie kirk has been shot
The fascists are the left pic.twitter.com/UmNpfwo8Ia

— Matt (@amattattack) September 10, 2025

Video that was even more graphic was also posted to X, showing a large amount of blood.

Deseret reports a shooter is in custody, and unverified video purporting to show the gunman has been going viral on X. Gizmodo could not confirm that the man pictured in the video, a white guy in glasses and a blue button-up shirt, was the alleged shooter.

A spokesperson for the university said that the shooter was located at the Losee Center, a building about 200 yards away, according to the New York Times.

Kirk established himself as a high-profile figure in the MAGA movement by debating college kids on political issues, which appears to be what he was doing when he was shot. Deseret News reports he was engaging in a Q&A on the campus. Kirk’s appearance in Utah was the first of what was scheduled to be a 15 city “American Comeback Tour.â€

FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that agents would be going to the scene of the shooting.

“We are closely monitoring reports of the tragic shooting involving Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,†Patel wrote. “Our thoughts are with Charlie, his loved ones, and everyone affected. Agents will be on the scene quickly and the FBI stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.â€

Kirk has a long history of supporting gun rights, including in 2023 when he argued that anyone aspiring to zero gun deaths was arguing for a “utopian society†that could never be achieved.

“It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment,†Kirk argued at the time.

Charlie Kirk: “It’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendmentâ€https://t.co/uoM6TqnAgJ pic.twitter.com/mbJSa2Lzmi

— Jason S. Campbell (@JasonSCampbell) April 6, 2023

Fellow conservative commentators on X also responded with an outpouring of support for Kirk. “Everyone please stop what you are doing and pray for Charlie Kirk. Please,†Candace Owens wrote on the social media platform.

White supremacist Nick Fuentes, who once had someone show up to his house with a gun, wrote on X that it “feels like a nightmare,†describing it as “one of the most horrific things†he’s ever seen.

“I feel absolutely gutted and devastated. Pray for Charlie Kirk’s soul, his young family and for our country. The violence and hatred has to stop. Our country needs Christ now more than ever,†Fuentes wrote.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat and proponent of stricter gun control laws, posted to X that Americans must reject political violence. “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,†Newsom wrote.

Vice President JD Vance showed his support for Kirk in multiple tweets, writing “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.†Vance also shared a photo of the two men, along with President Donald Trump’s son Don Jr.

Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour. pic.twitter.com/RqNYfHLs2b

— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 10, 2025

Kirk’s last post on X before the shooting said that it was “100% necessary to politicize the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska,†a 23-year-old woman who was recently killed on a light rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina.

If we want things to change, it’s 100% necessary to politicize the senseless murder of Iryna Zarutska because it was politics that allowed a savage monster with 14 priors to be free on the streets to kill her. pic.twitter.com/ZP7cFNDtvx

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) September 10, 2025

Utah Valley University didn’t immediately respond to Gizmodo’s questions on Wednesday. We’ll update this article when we hear back.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.