FOX News host Will Cain broke down in an emotional on-air moment as he announced the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, 31, was fatally shot at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday afternoon just moments after he spoke about gun violence in America.
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The organizer and outspoken ally of Donald Trump was hosting a Q&A session with students for his nonprofit group Turning Point USA when gunfire rang out.
Disturbing videos circulating on social media captured the moment blood gushed out of his neck after he was struck.
Attendees screamed, “Get down!” and crowds raced away from the tent where Kirk was sitting and speaking with students.
Kirk was known for hosting events where college students could ask him questions, and he could give his conservative point of view.
The dad of two had just started chatting with someone about mass shootings when the shot rang out, and he slumped into his chair.
His death was confirmed by longtime friend Trump, who called Kirk “legendary.”
“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” said the president.
Hours after the shooting, FBI director Kash Patel said the person responsible had been arrested, but Utah officials later clarified that a person of interest was being interviewed.
Trump shared his statement while Cain was hosting The Will Cain Show, and the host interrupted a guest to break the news.
He said it was his “great dishonor” to confirm that Kirk had died before reading out Trump’s post.
Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot dead college event
Cain then made a long pause before questioning how the country would move on from such a devastating tragedy.
Before Kirk’s death was confirmed, the teary-eyed host held a moment of silence and made an urgent plea for prayers.
“We are going to pause and offer our prayer. We hope you join along,” Cain said.
After taking a few seconds, the host said, “However, and to whomever you pray, I hope you pray for Charlie Kirk.”
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Charlie Kirk’s rise to hero of the youth MAGA movement
CHARLIE Kirk transformed conservative youth activism from a marginal movement into a powerful force before his assassination on a college campus at 31.
Kirk was an American conservative political activist, author, and media personality who rose to prominence as the co-founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA).
He launched the organization in 2012 when he was just 18 years old, with the goal of promoting conservative principles to high school and college students and became a significant figure in American politics by building a massive grassroots network, framing himself as a “culture warrior.”
The rise of Turning Point USA
Turning Point USA’s mission was to counter what Kirk and his allies saw as liberal dominance on American college campuses.
It quickly grew to prominence through his use of provocative activism and viral social media campaigns.
They created watchlists of professors pushing leftist propaganda and organized events to debate students on controversial topics.
The strategy helped them gain a significant following and financial backing from wealthy conservative donors.
Kirk’s ability to connect with a new generation of conservatives was one of his most notable impacts.
He cultivated a style of political engagement that was heavily reliant on social media, podcasts, and confrontational public appearances.
His organization’s events, such as the annual Student Action Summit, drew thousands of young attendees and featured prominent conservative speakers, creating a new kind of political ecosystem for young people who felt alienated from traditional conservative groups.
A key ally of Donald Trump
Kirk also became a staunch supporter and ally of President Donald Trump.
He was the youngest speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention and served as an aide to Donald Trump Jr. during the presidential campaign.
This relationship solidified his position within the Republican Party’s “MAGA” (Make America Great Again) wing, and his organization became an integral part of Trump’s political apparatus.
Through his popular podcast, “The Charlie Kirk Show,” and his frequent appearances on conservative media, Kirk was a powerful voice in the pro-Trump movement.
He often framed political issues as a “spiritual battle” between good and evil and championed a pugnacious, populist form of conservatism.
His influence was so significant that after Trump’s 2024 victory, Kirk was credited with helping to mobilize younger voters for the campaign.
Influence on culture and social issues
Beyond traditional politics, Kirk’s influence extended deeply into social and cultural issues.
He was a vocal opponent of “woke” ideology, particularly in education and media.
He promoted traditional values, often encouraging young women to prioritize becoming homemakers and mothers over professional careers.
Kirk also openly criticized programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
He was also a major proponent of Christian nationalism, arguing that there is no true separation of church and state in the United States.
The Turning Point Empire
Kirk’s activism led to the expansion of the Turning Point brand into a larger political and media empire.
He launched Turning Point Action, a political advocacy group focused on voter mobilization, and Turning Point Faith, aimed at engaging evangelical Christian communities in conservative politics.
These affiliated organizations allowed him to broaden his reach and influence beyond college campuses, into a more mainstream political force.
BRUTAL ASSASSINATION
Kirk was answering an attendee who asked about the number of mass shootings in the US in the past 10 years when the shot was fired.
The activist’s final words were “Counting or not counting gang violence?”
First responders raced him to the hospital in critical condition, and he died hours later.
An hours-long manhunt was launched before officials said they had nabbed a person of interest.
This came after officials appeared to have arrested a man in pictures taken at the scene, but the university later confirmed that he wasn’t the suspect and had been let go.
Shots were fired from the Losee Center, which is a building about 200 yards away from the stage where Kirk spoke, UVU spokeswoman Ellen Treanor told The New York Times.
UVU told students to leave the campus immediately, and announced that police officers were helping escort people away.
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Elected officials reaction to Charlie Kirk shooting
- Vice President JD Vance: “Dear God, protect Charlie in his darkest hour.”
- Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg: “Political violence must be always and totally rejected,” Buttigieg wrote on X. “Praying for him and all who may have been injured or impacted.”
- California Governor Gavin Newsom: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”
- Illinois Governor JB Pritzker: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying. Political violence has no place in this country and should never become the norm. I’m sending my sympathies to his family and friends at this time.”
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: “The way to resolve political disputes is not through violence. The way to do that is to ask questions, debate. An attack on the idea that we resolve these things through reasoned debate and elections.”
- NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani: I’m horrified by the shooting of Charlie Kirk at a college event in Utah. Political violence has no place in our country.”
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Praying for @charliekirk11″
‘PRAYERS FOR ERIKA’
Kirk is survived by his wife Erika Frantzve and their two children.
Speaking on a panel for Real America’s Voice, Dr. Gina Loudon, who has known the organizer since he was a child, said she’s praying for his widow.
“Well my prayers are for Erika, for her children, for his family,” she said.
“This is beyond devastating.”
Loudon’s voice broke as she shared memories of Kirk “running around” and attending conservative events when he was younger.
She eventually had to stop speaking and was left merely shaking her head.
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Timeline of Charlie Kirk shooting
Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on September 10.
12 pm MDT– Kirk is scheduled to host a debate in the UVU Fountain Courtyard.
12:10 pm – A shot is fired at Kirk from 200 yards away and hits him in the neck. The event is immediately evacuated and a suspect is taken into custody.
1:02 pm – President Donald Trump posts a call to pray for Kirk on Truth Social.
1:37 pm – UVU closes campus, cancels classes, and tells students to leave campus immediately.
1:50 pm – Officials confirm Kirk is in critical condition to the Associated Press.
TERRIFIED WITNESS
Former Representative Jason Chaffetz, a Republican from Utah who was attending the event, said that a massive crowd had gathered to see Kirk.
He relived the horrific moment that he watched the speaker be hit, saying, “I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left.”
“As soon as the shot went out, everybody hit the deck and everybody started scattering and yelling and screaming, as you might imagine,” he told Fox News.
Chaffetz said that he soon looked away and turned to his loved ones to make sure they were safe.
Kirk’s death sparked a widespread reaction of condemnation of violence from all political spectrums.
Vice President JD Vance called the organizer a “genuinely good guy and a young father.”
Former President Joe Biden said, “There is no place in our country for this kind of violence.
“It must end now. Jill and I are praying for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
And California Governor Gavin Newsom called the attack “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.”
“In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom wrote.
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