Charlie Kirk, right-wing activist and ally to President Donald Trump, was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University on his “American Comeback Tour,” according to Andrew Kolvet, Kirk’s spokesman.

Kirk was responding to a question about gun violence during the outdoor event at a table under a small pavilion, which read, “Prove Me Wrong,” just before he was shot.

Kirk garnered a massive following of pro-Trump activists over the years and is one of the preeminent conservative media personalities in the country. In 2012, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA, the largest conservative youth organization in the country, and came to speak at San Francisco State University on May 6 alongside Riley Gaines, a vocal anti-trans athlete and member of TPUSA.

SFSU’s TPUSA Chapter President Takumi Sugawara said the news was horrifying and hopes violence against campus speakers will not become a trend. 

“I got a lot of texts from my friends and family about the shooting,” Sugawara said. “The fact that this violence happened at this peaceful event was horrifying.”

Sugawara believes the shooting won’t be a roadblock for future TPUSA events at SFSU, and reiterates that the shooting is “not something we should be scared of.”

“We’re going to keep trying for free speech,” Sugawara said. “We don’t condone violence, but we will promote more civil discourse and not violence. We strongly condemn what happened today at Utah Valley University.”

Students across campus expressed mixed reactions to the shooting.

Benjamin Serratos, a first-year business student, disagrees with Kirk but said he was stunned to find out he was shot.

“I was just pretty much in shock of just the video going around of the actual incident,” Serratos said. “It was hard for me. Even if someone who you disagree with or agree with got shot, it’s still bad.”

First-year business student Alexis Andrade said he doesn’t believe people should take this sort of action.

“Some people were born to have those beliefs, but I don’t think you should take it into your own hands and murder someone,” Andrade said.

In 2023, Kirk said, “I think it’s worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.”

Before Kirk was confirmed dead, Trump expressed sympathy toward Kirk on Truth Social saying, “We must all pray for Charlie Kirk, who has been shot. A great guy from top to bottom. GOD BLESS HIM!” Many other prominent Democrat and Republican politicians shared their sympathies on social media and condemned political violence. 

A spokesperson for Utah Valley University said Kirk was the only person shot at the event, and there is no suspect in custody at the time of publication. 

Kirk, 31, is survived by his wife, Erika Kirk, and their two children.