Raydon DeChene was listening to Charlie Kirk speak about gun control at an event at Utah Valley University when he saw him collapse, blood spreading everywhere.
DeChene was one of more than 3,000 people, mostly students, who attended conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s event at Utah Valley University (UVU) on September 10. The outdoor discussion carried Kirk’s familiar message, “Prove Me Wrong,” where he invited students to challenge his views on American politics and society.
According to DeChene, before the debate began, the crowd was “very cheerful,” enjoying the lively atmosphere and chanting Kirk’s name. Kirk is one of former President Donald Trump’s closest allies and a highly influential figure in the 2024 election.
Kirk then took questions from students, many of which centered on mass shootings in the U.S., particularly the Minneapolis shooting in August, in which the suspect was reported to be transgender. The first student asked: “Do you know how many shootings in the past 10 years were carried out by transgender individuals?”
Kirk responded, “There have been too many,” which drew applause. The student then followed up with a question about the total number of shootings during that same period. Just as Kirk raised the microphone to answer, a gunshot rang out.
“I was standing right in the front row when I heard a loud bang from behind, coming from the hillside. He grabbed his neck, blood was everywhere, and his eyes rolled back,” DeChene recounted. “It was ironic—he was talking about gun control when he got shot.”
She said that everyone immediately dropped to the ground and then fled when someone shouted, “Run!”
“There was so much blood. Right after the shot, people instantly hit the ground. My colleague Eva Terry and I clung to each other, trying to hide. Just a minute later, the crowd began to scatter. The entire university was evacuated,” recalled Emma Pitts, a Deseret News reporter who was at the scene.
Jordan Last, a student at Utah Valley University, said he had arrived at noon to prepare for a possible debate with Kirk if chosen. “I was standing about 15–30 meters away, on the right side of the stage. The first question had just finished, and as they began the second, I heard a loud noise,” he recalled the moment his idol was shot.
Max Stanley, a UVU baseball player, said he was farther back but also heard the gunshot clearly. Moments later, Stanley saw “Kirk’s body collapse as if in slow motion.” Kirk later died from the severity of his injuries.
Several witnesses claimed that security at the event was extremely lax, with few police officers present and no metal detectors. One person standing just a few meters from Kirk told ABC4: “No one checked tickets; anyone could just walk in. The venue had too many entry points, making it easily accessible.”
Jeffrey Long, the UVU police chief, said only six uniformed officers were on duty, along with a number of undercover plainclothes officers hidden in the crowd. “We had trained for this type of scenario and thought we were well-prepared, but unfortunately it still happened. We always try to anticipate every situation, but today we failed,” Long stated.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced that a “person of interest” had been taken into custody. However, police later clarified that the individual had been released after questioning and that the actual suspect remained at large. Authorities urged the public to provide any information that could help.
The shooting left not only students but also faculty members in shock. A mathematics professor at UVU shared: “I’ve watched Charlie Kirk on YouTube. He holds many controversial views, but that doesn’t justify gun violence. I saw students crying and running from campus. This was a traumatizing experience for everyone.”
Kirk, 31, was the co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), which supports President Trump. He founded TPUSA at just 18 years old, transforming it into the largest student political movement in the country, known for organizing conferences, media campaigns, and mobilizing young voters.
Kirk also hosted a political podcast where he frequently criticized the Democratic Party and progressive movements. He was well-known for his live debates, which attracted large crowds of conservative students as well as those who opposed his views.
The incident has shaken the U.S. political scene, with both parties condemning political violence. Republican Senator Mike Lee called it a “heinous act of political terrorism,” while Democratic politicians also expressed condolences and urged an end to hateful rhetoric in the nation’s political discourse.
“No one understood the heart of America’s youth better than Charlie. He was loved by everyone, especially by me, and now he is no longer with us,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social. He subsequently ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide until September 14 in Kirk’s honor.