'Disgraceful Act Of Gun Violence': MD Reacts To Activist Charlie Kirk's Death

Charlie Kirk, co-founder and CEO of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, died Wednesday after being shot during a college event in Utah, according to an Associated Press report citing President Donald Trump.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore was swift to condemn the shooting before Kirk succumbed to his injuries.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the attack on Charlie Kirk this afternoon at Utah Valley University," Moore wrote in a statement released on X. "As I have said in the past and as I will continue to say: Political violence is never acceptable. Ever. The First Lady and I are praying for him and his family at this time."

The governor added to his call for peaceful political debate in a statement Wednesday evening.

“The future of our democracy will depend on our ability to resolve political differences peacefully, and not violently. Moreover, our state and country are defined not by our darkest moments, but by how we work together to spread light in that darkness," Moore said. "In the wake of today's events, we share a collective responsibility both to condemn this tragedy in the strongest possible terms and be bold in our commitment to greater unity and peace."

The incident occurred during a Q&A session at the college in Orem. Videos circulating online appear to show Kirk recoiling after a shot was heard, with blood pouring from his neck. He was discussing gang violence just before the shooting in the videos.

Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA, an American nonprofit organization that advocates for conservative politics on high school, college, and university campuses, according to the company.

READ MORE:

• Conservative Activist Charlie Kirk Shot Dead In Utah
• Charlie Kirk Shooter In Custody After Conservative Activist Killed In Utah: FBI

The person who shot and killed Kirk on Wednesday in Utah was in custody, FBI Director Kash Patel said around 4:30 p.m. local time. But about two hours later Patel walked back that statement.

The FBI has released the person of interest after an interrogation by law enforcement, Patel said in a post on X. "Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency."

Democratic U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen also spoke out following the shooting.

"Violence is never the answer. It is never acceptable. Never," he said.

Meanwhile, Andy Harris, Maryland's lone Republican U.S. representative, said he was "praying for Charlie Kirk." He also reposted a statement from the House Freedom Caucus, which he chairs.

The attack on Kirk, a conservative commentator and activist closely aligned with President Trump, drew swift condemnation from other Maryland leaders following the shooting.

As a mark of respect, Trump has ordered all flags to fly at half-staff in memory of Kirk until sunset on Sunday, September 14. (Read President Trump's Proclamation)

"Condemning another absolutely disgraceful act of gun violence. My thoughts & prayers are w/ Charlie Kirk & his family in this terrible moment & we are all grateful for first responders who immediately jumped into action," U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin wrote. "We must categorically reject all violence in our society."

"This is horrific," U.S. Rep. Sarah Elfreth wrote. "Political violence is never acceptable. I join my colleagues in praying for Charlie Kirk and his loved ones."

U.S. Rep. April McClain Delaney called the shooting a "grim punctuation point on how fractured we are as people in this country."

"No matter who you are, you should never fear for your life because of your beliefs or circumstance," she wrote. "We are better than this. I send my deepest sympathy to Charlie Kirk’s loved ones, and prayers for his survival."

A person who was taken into custody at Utah Valley University was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly. It was not clear if authorities were still searching the campus for a suspect.

The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.

The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April. The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.

Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by his nonprofit political organization. The event had been met with divided opinions on campus. An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures. The university issued a statement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its “commitment to free speech, intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue.”

Turning Point was founded in suburban Chicago in 2012 by Kirk, then 18, and William Montgomery, a tea party activist, to proselytize on college campuses for low taxes and limited government. It was not an immediate success.

But Kirk’s zeal for confronting liberals in academia eventually won over an influential set of conservative financiers.

Despite early misgivings, Turning Point enthusiastically backed Trump after he clinched the GOP nomination in 2016. Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son, during the general election campaign.

Soon, Kirk was a regular presence on cable TV, where he leaned into the culture wars and heaped praise on the then-president. Trump and his son were equally effusive and often spoke at Turning Point conferences.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.