Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk has passed away after being shot at an event in Utah on Wednesday, multiple outlets report.

President Trump also confirmed Kirk’s passing.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!” Trump said.

The Associated Press confirmed:

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, has died after being shot Wednesday at an event at Utah Valley University, President Trump said.

The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.

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31-year-old Kirk is the latest victim in a spasm of political violence across the United States. He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of 18, and soon became a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on President Trump.

Authorities are still searching for the suspect, the mayor says. A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation and was not authorized to speak publicly. It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect.

X users reacted to the heartbreaking news:

“Sources on the ground tell Infowars Charlie Kirk has been dead for over an hour. According to law-enforcement and security, who were at the scene, Charlie was killed by a high-powered rifle shot to the neck. Please pray for his family and America,” Alex Jones commented.

Deseret News noted:

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz earlier said Kirk’s death was confirmed to him by Utah law enforcement officials.

Deseret News reporters on the scene report seeing Kirk shot during a Q&A with students. About two minutes into the interview a gunshot rang out and Kirk appeared to be hit in the neck.

Kirk, 31, co-founded Turning Point USA, one of the largest conservative organizations for high school and college students. He is a popular podcast and cable news host. He is married and has two children.

He recently spoke to the Deseret News about his work.

UVU spokesperson Scott Trotter released a statement saying the suspect is not yet in custody.

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