President Donald Trump has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast following the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA and political activist.
Kirk, 31, was shot at an event in Utah on Wednesday at Utah Valley University which was part of his American Comeback Tour, IJR previously reported.
“As a mark of respect for the memory of Charlie Kirk, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, 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 in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, September 14, 2025,” the White House release read. “I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.”
Immediately before Kirk was shot, he was responding to a question regarding transgender mass shooters in the U.S., per IJR.
According to a spokesperson from Utah Valley University, the suspect is not in custody, per CNN.
Kirk, an ally of the president, leaves behind a wife and two children.
Trump wrote on Truth Social after the shooting, “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!”
Vice President JD Vance also wrote on X, “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.”
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed Wednesday night that a person was previously taken into custody, but has since been released after interrogation, CNN reported.
Free-speech groups on condemned Kirk’s murder.
“Political violence is never an acceptable response to speech,” FIRE, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, said in a statement.
Violence “has no place in our democracy, and campuses must be safe spaces for dialogue across a wide range of political views,” PEN America said.
