&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Charlie Kirk built Turning Point into a conservative powerhouse at the age of 18. What happens now?")
Charlie Kirk, a close ally of Donald Trump, was shot dead while addressing students at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old was struck once in the neck and died shortly after being taken to the hospital. Hundreds of students fled the event as panic spread throughout the crowd. Kirk’s wife and children were present, Senator Markwayne Mullins confirmed. Utah’s governor described the shooting as a “political assassination,” urging Americans to stop “hating” one another.
Campus police initially arrested a suspect who was later released after questioning. The FBI also detained a man described as a “subject”, but he too was released. A door-to-door manhunt for the gunman is now underway. President Trump, in a video statement, said he was “filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk,” calling him a patriot and declaring his death “a dark moment for America.”
What is Turning Point, the organisation founded by Charlie Kirk?
Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, when he was just 18 years old. The group began as a conservative activism organisation aimed at spreading right-wing ideas across US college campuses. According to its website, its mission is to “promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” What started as a small grassroots effort soon expanded into a major conservative youth network with chapters in more than 850 colleges.
From student movement to influencer network
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026: 5 football stars who went viral on social media during the tournament
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
New OTT releases this week (July 20-26, 2026): Musafir Cafe, Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya, 72 Hours- 5 new titles coming on Netflix, Prime Video and more
)
'What is wrong...': Anna Hazare breaks silence on Sonam Wangchuk's protest, makes an appeal to Centre
)
BTS at FIFA 2026: Check the halftime show timings for India and across the world
)
'Chalo Sansad' march today: Section 163 in force, Delhi Police remove barricades; unfazed Dharmendra Pradhan meets NEET topper
)
'George Soros playbook': Understanding the foreign funding network around Sonam Wangchuk
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
FIFA World Cup 2026 awards race: Who are Golden Boot, Golden Ball and Golden Glove contenders ahead of the final
)
Did Iran secretly ship 70 million barrels of oil to China? Report claims $6 billion crude exported before blockade restored
)
'There is no need for...': PM Modi takes a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, sends big message amid Parliament March
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
2026 FIFA World Cup awards: Full list of Golden Boot, Golden Ball, Golden Glove and every major winner
)
US strikes Iran, sirens heard in Kuwait, one American soldier killed in Iraq: What's happening in West Asia
)
'Could be bombed at any moment': What Iran's Araghchi told Trump envoy Witkoff during negotiations
)
Imran Khan's sister links India-Pakistan 2025 conflict to Israel recognition plans
)
Sonam Wangchuk's connection with George Soros and Ford Foundation explained!
)
Homer's Iliad written before The Odyssey found inside an Egyptian mummy
)
Older than Himalayas: 85mn-year-old Kewra plant reached India 24mn years ago, fossil discovery in Assam shows
)
Argentina's racism problem: How football chants reflect a deeper historical legacy
)
Student union leaders call off hunger strike at Jantar Mantar after civil society appeal, but protest continues
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why US fighter jets use seamless bubble canopies compared to Russian jets
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s cockpit glass is thicker than a standard fighter jet
)
FIFA 2026: BTS lights up World Cup final halftime show with 'Dynamite' performance
)
Truck loaded with stones, metro stations closed: What's happening at Jantar Mantar now
)
JD and Usha Vance welcome fourth child: Who serves as acting US vice president during Vance's paternity leave?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the F-22’s tail fins are canted to minimize its radar footprint
)
Salman Khan breaks silence on health concerns after viral Mumbai appearance
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Global air power ranking 2026: India surpasses China
)
Xi Jinping's new AI bloc: China launches 'World AI Body' with Pakistan and Russia in, India out
)
Karoline Leavitt to be US Vice President when Usha Vance gives birth? JD Vance says...
Turning Point USA has grown beyond its original remit. Kirk himself rose to prominence as “one of the most powerful voices in the young right-wing conservative movement.” Turning Point’s events, media platforms and podcasts are widely credited with helping drive young voter support for Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Trump has openly embraced the group’s influence. Last year, he delivered a speech at a Turning Point conference in Arizona.
