Charlie Kirk shooting: Ex-Secret Service agent weighs in on event security
OREM, Utah (WPVI) -- Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth activist organization Turning Point USA, has died after he was shot during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said.
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump said on social media. "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!"
MORE | Manhunt for shooter continues after Charlie Kirk killed in 'political assassination': officials
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the fatal shooting a "political assassination."
The manhunt for the suspected shooter is still underway and the investigation is still ongoing, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
The Utah Department of Public of Safety said in an update Wednesday night that two people were initially taken into custody after the shooting but later released.
VIDEO: Who was Charlie Kirk? His political influence and career explained
The first was released and later charged with obstruction by university police. The second person was taken into custody and released after an "interrogation" by law enforcement, the department said.
Utah authorities said "there are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals."
A single shot was fired on Utah Valley University's Orem campus toward Kirk, a visiting speaker, shortly after noon, the school said.
"He was hit and taken from the location by his security," the university said.
Kirk, 31, was taken to a hospital after being shot, according to Turning Point USA, which said, "with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gun shot" during the campus event.
"We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers," the organization said.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason called the shooting a "targeted attack," and said the scene is a "very large area."
Mason said the "only information" they have on the possible shooter was taken from CCTV on campus, and that the person was dressed in all dark clothing. The shot was fired on campus from a "longer distance," potentially from a roof, he said.
Don Mihalek, a retired senior Secret Service agent, said the incident brings up the issue of event security.
He tells Action News there needs to be access control, checkpoints, and plans in place to surveil the outer and inner perimeters at events like this.
"Every level of law enforcement needs to be tracking on this, and security, otherwise incidents like this can and will happen, unfortunately, with the current threat dynamic we're facing," he said.
There is no evidence that anyone else was involved, according to authorities.
Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said the investigation is in the early stages.
"We are following all the leads and all the evidence," he said during the press briefing on Wednesday.
Kirk had two children, a 3-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy, with his wife, Erika.
RELATED: Charlie Kirk's influence, reach helped propel Donald Trump into office
He was a Trump confidant at the forefront of a burgeoning conservative youth movement. Known as the "Trump whisperer," Kirk was deeply involved in vetting top positions for the administration following the election and was in constant communication with top advisers and the president himself.
"It's horrific. It's one of the most horrible things I've ever seen," Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl.
"He was a great guy," Trump said. "He was a good man. He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him."
FBI and ATF agents are on the scene, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
FBI Director Kash Patel said earlier the agency "stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation."
There was a discussion about shootings when the single shot was fired during the event.
Utah Valley student Luke Pitman, who witnessed the shooting, told Salt Lake City ABC affiliate KTVX that he heard a "big bang."
"We thought it was confetti. Then, everyone started ducking down," he told the station. "And then, I look over at Charlie Kirk and I see blood coming from his neck."
Mihalek said the investigation will be a collaborative effort between local, state and federal law enforcement partners.
ABC News contributed to this report.
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