Right-wing youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot at an American university, reported AFP.

The incident occurred at Utah Valley University. Kirk’s condition was not immediately clear.

Video from the scene shows Kirk speaking under a tent before what appeared to be several thousand people, when a gunshot is heard. The footage shows him seemingly collapsing backward in his chair, after which the camera quickly pans aside and panic erupts in the crowd.

“Everyone must pray for Charlie Kirk, who was shot. A great man from start to finish. GOD BLESS HIM!” Trump wrote on his social network Truth Social.

Kristin Nelson of the university police confirmed only that “shots were fired” and that people were urged to remain in place. A warning sent to students specified that one person had been detained. According to information published by Deseret News, “a single shot was fired on campus at a guest lecturer. Police are investigating, the suspect is in custody.”

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event, told Fox News that the shooting happened during a question-and-answer session. “The first question was about religion. He spoke for about 15–20 minutes. The second question, interestingly, was about transgender shooters and mass shootings, and at that moment the shot rang out,” said a visibly shaken Chaffetz.

“I was watching Charlie. I can’t say that I saw blood, I can’t say that I saw the moment he was shot, but as soon as the shot went off, he fell backward. Everyone dove to the ground, many started screaming, and then everyone ran.”

At just 31 years old, Charlie Kirk already holds significant influence in American politics, having played a key role in boosting Trump’s support among young voters — a factor considered decisive in the Republican’s return to power last year.

With his natural gift for public speaking, Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to promote conservative views among young people. This made him a favored speaker on television networks and at conferences for the youthful far right.

He uses his vast audiences on Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity, and to gain attention through viral verbal clashes with opponents during his numerous campus events.

His presence at universities is seen by the right as a necessary counterweight to the dominant liberal views in higher education, but at the same time it often sparks fierce opposition. |BGNES