Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on September 10, leaving his wife and family devastated.
OREM, Utah — On September 10,2025, a heavily attended outdoor debate at Utah Valley University (UVU) erupted into chaos and tragedy when 31-year-old Charlie Kirk, the high-profile founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), was fatally shot in the neck while onstage.
The brazen daytime assassination, which occurred around 12:23 p.m. in an outdoor courtyard, or “quad,” on the campus in Orem, has devastated Kirk’s young wife, Erika Frantzve, their two young children, and his extended family. The strike, fired from the rooftop of a nearby campus building, immediately ended the event and sparked widespread fear, launching a multi-agency manhunt and reigniting fierce national debates on political violence, security at public events, and campus safety.