Charlie Kirk killed in Utah: OSU students reflect on his April visit to Stillwater

Conservative activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Wednesday during an event at Utah Valley University. The FBI says a person of interest has been released from custody following an interrogation.

What we know

The 31-year-old father of two had just started taking questions from the crowd when he was shot. In the last several years, Kirk had become one of the most influential conservative commentators through online videos. He also made several appearances supporting President Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign.

The FBI says the shooting investigation is ongoing, and the university is closed indefinitely.

Kirk was the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, which advocates for conservative politics and free speech on college campuses. He spoke at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater back in April.

OSU Turning Point USA Plans Memorial

The OSU chapter of Turning Point USA says it is “deeply saddened by the passing of Charlie Kirk.” The organization is planning to hold a memorial next Tuesday in his honor.

Kirk’s death comes six months after he visited the OSU campus for his “American Comeback Tour.”

Tyler Tripodi is the news director of OSU’s Daily O’Collegian and covered Kirk’s visit. He says Wednesday's shooting reflects a rise in political violence.

“Any sort of political killing is never okay. We live in a country with free speech for a reason. You know, we're allowed to disagree. We're allowed to kind of have that discussion about political, you know, kind of events and everything like that. But at no point should it ever become a violent discussion," said Tripodi.

Tripodi says Kirk had national impact, especially among conservatives.

“Obviously, you know, he starts it as a grassroots campaign in 2012 and builds it up into what it is today,” he said.

Student Journalist Recalls Kirk’s OSU Event

He says Kirk’s visit to OSU only had a few protestors. Tripodi says that at the time, he was surprised by how little security Kirk had with him.

“There's always a thought in the back of your head. I don't think there was any true belief on my end. It is kind of concerning to me how his security team kind of sets up. Obviously, it's an open-air event. People can walk in and out as they please,” he said.

Tripodi says that although not everyone agreed with Kirk’s message, political violence should never be the answer.

“Just as a fellow human, your heart really goes out to his family, his friends. I mean, he's got young kids, wife. He's a young guy. I mean, it's one of those things where you look at this and it's just such a tragedy,” he said.