As the killer of right-wing campaigner Charlie Kirk continued to elude a manhunt more than twenty-four hours after the shooting, which heightened tensions in the already divided United States, President Donald Trump urged supporters on Thursday to respond to the tragedy in a nonviolent manner.
Following the murder, Trump angrily promised a broad offensive against the “radical left,” telling reporters that Kirk had been “an advocate of nonviolence.”
“That’s the way I’d like to see people respond,” he stated.
REPORTER: How do you want your supporters to respond to this? Charlie Kirk was a big advocate of nonviolence…@POTUS: "I think that way. He was — he was an advocate of nonviolence. That's the way I'd like to see people respond." pic.twitter.com/f8iv3SpBSd
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 11, 2025
Kirk was shot on Wednesday while speaking to a sizable crowd at Utah Valley University. Kirk is a 31-year-old Republican right superstar who helped inspire a surge in youth support for Trump.
“Big progress” in the inquiry was hailed by Trump.
But a day later, according to investigators, the gunman was still at free.
Following the cancellation of a planned media briefing, Utah law enforcement officials announced, “Multiple leads are currently being investigated, but no suspect is in custody,”
Earlier, FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls stated, “We’re not sure how far he has gone yet, but we’re doing everything we can to find him.”
In describing the Kirk incident as “targeted,” the FBI released blurry images of a young individual it referred to as “the potential shooter.”
The images featured a man dressed in what looked like pants, a long-sleeved sweater with an American flag pattern embroidered on it, a black baseball cap, and dark sunglasses.
Up to $100,000 was offered as a reward for information that would result in his capture.
According to the police, Kirk was struck in the neck by a single bullet that the shooter fired from a rooftop up to 200 yards (180 meters).
In a wooded region, a powerful bolt-action rifle was found.
The fact that Trump, not law enforcement, made the initial announcement to the public on Wednesday that Kirk had died reflects the intensely political character of the affair.
Trump spoke to the country shortly after in a video speech on social media, referring to it as a “dark moment for America.”
“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 continued. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing.”
While demands for a return to civility competed with those seeking retribution, conspiracy theories were circulating on the internet.
The well-known right-wing X account @LibsofTikTOK commented, “THIS IS WAR.”
Jesse Watters, the host of Fox News, stated on Wednesday that the murder was a sign that his political viewpoint was being attacked.
“They are at war with us, whether we like to admit it or not. He questioned his audience, “And what are we going to do about it?”
For the right, ‘Martyr’
While addressing the audience, Kirk was shot, and he instantly passed out on his chair.
University students talked about the panic that followed, as well as their general anxieties as the nation’s political divisions widen.
Samuel Kimball, a student of software engineering, told AFP, “I feel like I should be very careful about expressing my political ideas.”
Supporters have praised Kirk as a “martyr” for conservative principles, and he had a significant impact on US politics.
His innate flair makes him a popular spokesperson on television networks, and in 2012 he co-founded Turning Point USA to promote conservative views among youth.
In addition to disseminating meticulously produced videos of his exchanges during discussions at his numerous college events, Kirk leveraged his massive followings on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to rally support for anti-immigration laws, vocal Christianity, and gun ownership.
A Democratic congressman and her husband were shot dead in their house by a Minnesota man three months ago, while Trump escaped an assassination attempt in July 2024 while running for office.
On Thursday, Vice President JD Vance traveled to Utah to meet Kirk’s family.
