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UVU will remain closed until Monday
Utah Valley University will remain closed until Monday following the on-campus shooting of Kirk.
“All classes (in-person or virtual), campus events, and administrative operations will be suspended during this time,” the school said on its website.
Coursework, assignment deadlines and exams for students will be delayed to accommodate the closure, the school said, adding that employees will still receive their regular pay.
In an alert, the school said there is no ongoing threat to the campus. People who left essential possessions behind during the rush after the shooting can pick their items up today at the Young Living Alumni Center, the university said.
Several vigils held across the U.S. in honor of Charlie Kirk
Mourners gathered in several states to pay their respects to Kirk.
Inside the White House as officials learned about Charlie Kirk’s death
“In shock.”
“Just sick.”
“Devastated.”
Those were the initial reactions of White House officials who watched as reports started to flood in that Kirk had been shot at an event at Utah Valley University this afternoon.
Aides briefed Trump in real time as events unfolded, meeting with his team in the Oval Office as other officials monitored developments from the Situation Room.
Senior communications officials immediately huddled in an area in the West Wing known as Upper Press, where an expletive could be heard as a door shut behind them.
Staffers are deeply shaken by the tragedy, with many of them pointing to their own personal connections to Kirk from the 2016 campaign and in the decade since. Some worked, through tears, as cable channels played in the background, noting that the shooter was still at large.
Trump blames the ‘radical left’ for Charlie Kirk’s death
While politicians of both parties largely coalesced to mourn Kirk after he was shot and killed today, Trump blamed the “radical left” for his death.
“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” he said in a video message tonight. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Trump called for “all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree” — but he then called out “radical-left political violence,” without paying tribute to any Democratic politicians who have been targeted.
Officials have not announced a motive for Kirk’s killing; Utah’s governor called it “a political assassination.”
Two people detained have no ties to shooting, officials say
Neither of two people taken into custody today has any connection to the deadly shooting of Kirk, officials said tonight.
One person was initially taken into custody after the shooting and charged with obstruction by university police, and a second person was taken into custody but released after interrogation, the FBI and the Utah Public Safety Department said in a joint statement.
“There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals," the statement said. "There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter."
The statement called the shooting a targeted attack.
"The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard. Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation," it said.
Vigil being held for Charlie Kirk at Utah Capitol
A vigil is being held at Utah’s State Capitol building in Salt Lake City tonight after Kirk was fatally shot earlier today
Pastor Ron Williams told the crowd that Kirk was “a young man that was full of passion, full of love, and he loved his country and he loved his family.”
Williams asked for peace and comfort for Kirk’s family and those close to him, and he said that although there may be other dark days, people should choose love over violence. Williams called Kirk's killing an injustice.
“Let us as fellow Americans realize that what happened today may not be the last time that we need to speak up, we need to stand up, we need to move forward and say no to violence and yes to love and unity and justice,” he said in an opening prayer.
Supporters of Kirk stopped to pray and bring flowers to the Turning Point USA offices in Phoenix after the conservative activist was fatally shot, NBC affiliate KPNX reported.
Several people shared stories about Kirk and expressed why they were drawn to his movement.
Donald Trump Jr. mourns Kirk's death, calling him 'a brother to me'
Donald Trump Jr., a close friend of Kirk's, mourned his death on social media tonight, saying Kirk "was a brother to me, and I will carry that with me forever."
"I don’t even know how to begin to put into words the loss I am feeling right now over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie wasn’t just a friend — he was like a little brother to me — and to millions of people around the world — he was a true inspiration," Trump wrote on X.
"This loss is absolutely devastating — not only for Erika and the kids, but for our country. We’ve lost a leader, a fighter, and a man whose character and conviction were rare. Too rare. To think that his life was cut short by a brutal, heinous, evil act is beyond comprehension. It is horrible and it is heartbreaking," he added.
Utah Valley University president: 'We are shocked and saddened'
Utah Valley University President Astrid S. Tuminez said tonight that she and the university are "shocked and saddened" by Kirk's killing on the campus in Orem earlier today.
"We express our sincere condolences to the Kirk family. We grieve with our students, faculty, and staff who bore witness to this unspeakable tragedy," she said in a statement.
"He was invited by the student group Turning Point USA to speak on our campus. We firmly believe that UVU is a place to share ideas and to debate openly and respectfully," she said. "Any attempt to infringe on those rights has no place here. We do not condone any form of violence at UVU and seek to make our campus a safe place for all."
Hallie Jackson on Kirk’s death: ‘Stunning to so many people across the political spectrum’
NBC News senior Washington correspondent Hallie Jackson reacts to Kirk's death and explains what it means in the political sphere amid a sharp rise in political violence.
