By Bianca Sierra

FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS

On September 10, 2025, Kirk was shot and killed at the age of 31 while speaking at a TPUSA event on the campus of Utah Valley University.

Following the shooting, but before Kirk’s death, U.S. president Donald Trump called for prayers for Kirk on Truth Social. Other politicians echoed the sentiment while condemning the act of political violence, including Vice President JD Vance, California Governor Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Mike Johnson, former Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Barack Obama, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Following Kirk’s death, President Trump issued an order for all U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff throughout the United States in his honor until Sunday at 6:00 p.m. White House reporter Maggie Haberman reported that “the mood at the White House in the wake of the shooting was one of shock and sorrow”, and that many in the Trump administration had admired Kirk.

Charles James Kirk (October 14, 1993 – September 10, 2025) was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality. He co-founded the conservative organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA) in 2012 and was its executive director. He was the chief executive officer (CEO) of Turning Point Action, Turning Point Academy, and Turning Point Faith; president of Turning Point Endowment; and a member of the Council for National Policy.

Kirk was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights, Illinois. In high school, Kirk actively engaged in politics, supporting Mark Kirk (no relation) and his U.S. Senate campaign, as well as campaigning against a price increase in his school’s cafeteria. He briefly attended Harper College before dropping out to pursue political activism full-time, influenced by Tea Party member Bill Montgomery. In 2012, Kirk founded TPUSA, a conservative student organization that quickly grew with backing from donors like Foster Friess.

As TPUSA’s CEO, Kirk expanded the organization’s influence through initiatives like the Professor Watchlist and School Board Watchlist, while raising millions in donations. In 2019, Kirk founded Turning Point Action, a political advocacy arm, and later, with Pentecostal pastor Rob McCoy, formed Turning Point Faith—aimed at mobilizing religious communities on conservative issues. Kirk hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a conservative talk radio program. A key ally of Donald Trump, Kirk publicly promoted conservative and Trump-aligned causes and COVID-19 misinformation, spoke out against critical race theory, and denied the scientific consensus on climate change.