The wife of slain conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk posted what turned out to be an ominous message shortly before he was assassinated at a Utah university on Wednesday.
Erika Kirk posted two Bible verses: “Psalm 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,” and, “Psalm 34:8 – Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
Charlie Kirk was struck in the throat by a single bullet around 12:20 p.m. Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The FBI released a statement on the X platform that it is assisting local law enforcement in the investigation while asking for the public’s help in identifying the assassin.
“The FBI is working alongside our local and state law enforcement partners in Utah to fully investigate and seek justice in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI said.
On Thursday morning, the FBI reported it had collected extensive video footage showing the suspect fleeing from a rooftop into a nearby neighborhood. Agents also recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the attack in a wooded area near the campus.
The FBI added that agents have obtained some forensic evidence allegedly belonging to the shooter, who “appears to be of college age,” said a spokesman.
FBI Director Kash Patel said earlier the agency “stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation.”
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason called the shooting a “targeted attack,” and said the scene is a “very large area.”
Mason said Wednesday the “only information” they have on the possible shooter was taken from CCTV on campus, and that the person was dressed in black clothing. The shot was fired on campus from a “longer distance,” potentially from a roof, he said. Subsequent reports estimated that the shooter was about 200 yards from Kirk.
Separately, authorities said they are also looking at security camera video depicting someone dressed in all dark clothing and that “the shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard,” according to a statement from law enforcement officials.
In a video posted to social media, President Donald Trump said, “It’s a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree.”
“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 added. “This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we’re seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now.”
Kirk, who was 31 and had two small children, was a close friend of Trump and a powerful figure in the conservative youth movement.
At 18, he started the conservative group Turning Point USA in 2012. In the 2024 elections, he was credited with getting a lot of young voters to back Trump.
Support and calls for prayers poured in across social media, including from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom tweeted.
In a statement on X, Vice President J.D. Vance wrote: “Say a prayer for Charlie Kirk, a genuinely good guy and a young father.”
Utah Senator Mike Lee posted to X shortly after news of the shooting broke, writing, “I am tracking the situation at Utah Valley University closely. Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk and the students gathered there.”