Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, sparking chaos and leaving thousands of students traumatized. The manhunt for the sniper remains ongoing. Witnesses described panic as the bullet struck Kirk in the neck. Videos quickly spread online showing students fleeing, while others stood frozen in shock. Kirk was rushed by private vehicle to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly afterward.

Skyler Baird, a student in the crowd, recalled standing just 15 feet away. “I heard a pop and immediately knew it was a gunshot,” he told KUTV. “I pretty much knew immediately that he wasn’t going to make it.” Though security was present, he said the campus felt unusually open.

Before the event began, Kirk had been handing out baseball caps to attendees with help from former Utah Republican state representative Phil Lyman. Lyman later reflected on the tragedy, telling the BBC that “3,000 kids basically watched someone shot right in front of them – it was really traumatic.”

What shocked many even further was a video posted online showing someone stealing hats from the tent where Kirk was shot. Shared initially on TikTok and later reposted to X, the clip shows an individual reaching over the perimeter to grab merchandise. An off-camera voice can be heard saying, “Grab me a hat,” before security intervened.

The footage sparked widespread outrage, with many calling the behavior disgraceful in the midst of such a devastating moment.

Lyman emphasized that the shooting was not just an attack on Kirk but on the values he represented. “There’s going to be some real repercussions here,” he said. “I hope people don’t get scared away from his Christian values, his love of family and freedom. That’s what someone is trying to do—scare us away from those principles.”

What began as a lively campus debate turned into a national tragedy, amplified by disturbing scenes of opportunism amid grief. As the investigation continues, tributes pour in for Kirk, remembered by allies as one of the most influential conservative voices of his generation.

Our thoughts and prayers remain with his wife, Erika, and their children.