Gov Spencer Cox declares Charlie Kirk killing a 'political assassination' at Utah campus

In a solemn and emotional statement on Wednesday evening, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and dad of two, Charlie Kirk, to be a "political assassination" that strikes at the very heart of American democracy.

"This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our nation," Cox said, denouncing the act as an affront to the Founders' vision that "all men are endowed... with certain inalienable rights. The first one of those is life."

The Republican governor reminded Americans that Kirk was "first and foremost a husband and a dad to young children," and that his commitment to free speech was why he was on campus.

Charlie believed in the power of free speech and debate to shape ideas and to persuade people…

CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION SPARKS BIPARTISAN UPROAR OVER POLITICAL VIOLENCE AS UTAH MANHUNT UNDERWAY

Charlie Kirk and his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, in an undated photo posted to social media.  (Charlie Kirk via Instagram)

Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent figure in conservative youth activism. 

The event at Utah Valley University (UVU) was the inaugural stop on his "American Comeback Tour." 

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder and dad of two, Charlie Kirk, to be a "political assassination." (Fox News)

Around 12:10 p.m. MDT, a single shot, from approximately 200 yards away, struck Kirk in the neck. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said that the shooter fired from a nearby roof. Kirk was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A manhunt for the assassin remained ongoing on Wednesday night.

"The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues, and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," FBI Director Kash Patel wrote in an X post Wednesday.

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The Republican governor pledged that investigators "will find you... and hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law."

"The investigation is ongoing, but I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this. We will find you. We will try you and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law," he said.

CHARLIE KIRK, TURNING POINT USA FOUNDER, DEAD AT 31 AFTER UTAH CAMPUS SHOOTING

"And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah," he said.

TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk appears at a Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10, 2025. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via REUTERS)

In a broader reflection on the state of America, Cox lamented a string of recent politically motivated attacks – from shootings in Minnesota to attempted assassination plots against public figures.

"Our nation is broken. We've had political assassinations recently in Minnesota. We had an attempted assassination on the governor of Pennsylvania, and we had an attempted assassination on a presidential candidate and former President of the United States and now current President of the United States," he said.

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump pumps his fist as he is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024, in Butler, Pennsylvania.  (Getty Images/Anna Moneymaker)

Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk… We mourn as a nation.

"Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk," he said. "Our hearts are broken. We mourn with his wife, his children, his family, his friends. We mourn as a nation."

COMPLETE COVERAGE OF CHARLIE KIRK

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a news conference at the state Capitol on Friday, March 3, 2023, in Salt Lake City.  (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Cox, a 50-year-old Utah native, recently secured his second term as governor. As the incumbent, he faced a stiff challenge from Rep. Phil Lyman, who appealed to the hard-right flank of the party. 

Cox publicly endorsed President Donald Trump in July 2024, just weeks after an assassination attempt in Butler, Penn. 

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Cox, who had previously criticized Trump’s role in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, framed his endorsement as an act of unity.