Former U.S. President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, calling it an act of “despicable violence” that has no place in a democratic society.
In a message shared on his official X handle, Obama extended condolences to the bereaved family. “We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy. Michelle and I will be praying for Charlie’s family tonight, especially his wife Erika and their two young children,” he wrote.
Kirk, a 31-year-old ally of former President Donald Trump, was killed on Wednesday during a public appearance at Utah Valley University. The conservative youth leader, who co-founded a major student movement in 2012, had just begun addressing the audience under a tent when a sniper’s bullet struck him in the neck. Witnesses said he collapsed instantly as security rushed him onto a stretcher.
The event was the opening stop of his “American Comeback Tour,” a 15-city campaign scheduled to run through October. Authorities described the incident as a targeted attack. Utah’s Department of Public Safety reported that the shot came from the rooftop of a nearby building overlooking the student courtyard. Two individuals were briefly detained for questioning, but later released. One of them, George Zinn, now faces charges of obstruction, though officials said no direct link to the shooting has been established.
News of Kirk’s death was first confirmed by former President Trump, who wrote on Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead.” Hours later, Trump delivered a somber address from the Oval Office, blaming what he called “radical left rhetoric” for fueling the political climate that led to the killing.
“This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today,” Trump said. “My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organisations that fund it and support it.”
Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, are still investigating the shooting. A suspect has yet to be identified, and officials have not confirmed the motive.
