Conservative activist Charlie Kirk has died after being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University, sparking a widespread manhunt and drawing national attention.

Kirk, 31, founder of the right-wing youth organisation Turning Point USA and a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting. 

Authorities believe the shot was fired from a rooftop overlooking the event venue, though the gunman remains at large.

Officials have released two individuals who were initially taken into custody, saying they had “no current ties” to the incident. Police have since stated that there is no ongoing threat to the campus community, although the suspect has yet to be located.

BBC Verify has analysed a video shared online shortly after the shooting, which appears to support investigators’ belief that the shot was fired from an elevated position.

In a video message released following the attack, President Trump expressed his outrage, calling it a “heinous assassination” and “a dark moment for America.” He said he was “filled with grief and anger” over the loss of someone he described as a “true patriot and fighter.”

Kirk rose to prominence after founding Turning Point USA at the age of 18, becoming a vocal figure in America’s conservative movement and maintaining close ties to the Trump family.

The incident has further inflamed tensions in a politically polarised nation, with commentators pointing to the shooting as another example of the deep divisions gripping American society.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies continue to search for the suspect.

Source: BBC

SMS/