Who Shot Charlie Kirk? MSNBC Contributor Says It May Have Been a Supporter – Here's Why

The political world has been left reeling after the shocking death of Charlie Kirk, a leading conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA. The 31-year-old was gunned down in broad daylight while addressing students at Utah Valley University in Orem. His close ally Donald Trump confirmed Kirk's death on Wednesday evening, calling him 'loved and admired by ALL, especially me'.

The Shooting That Shook America

Kirk was delivering the first speech of his 'Great American Comeback Tour' when a bullet struck him in the neck, causing chaos across the packed campus. Utah Valley University confirmed that a single shot had been fired from the top of the Losee Center, about 200 feet from the stage. Witnesses described scenes of panic as students screamed and fled the quad.

Sophie Anderson, 45, who was in the crowd, told the Daily Mail: 'The second it happened, I knew it was a gunshot. He was shot in the neck and just fell over and he was just a fountain of blood. They carried him off. All these kids are just falling apart and bawling.'

Police initially detained an elderly man but later clarified he was not the shooter. As of Wednesday night, no suspect was in custody. The FBI and ATF have deployed agents to assist local authorities, with Utah Governor Spencer Cox promising that the person responsible 'will be brought to justice'.

READ MORE: 10 Photos Of Charlie Kirk's Wife, Erika Frantzve, and Quick Facts about Their Family

Tributes And Condemnations

Kirk's death prompted tributes across the political spectrum. Trump announced that all US flags would be flown at half-mast until Sunday evening in his honour. 'No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,' he wrote on Truth Social.

Vice President JD Vance remembered Kirk for creating spaces for open political dialogue, writing: 'He would answer any question and talk to everyone.' Prominent Democrats, including President Joe Biden, former president Barack Obama, and California governor Gavin Newsom, also condemned the shooting and called for an end to political violence.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed the calls for unity, while Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed federal agents were working closely with Utah authorities.

MSNBC Sparks Outrage

While tributes poured in, MSNBC faced backlash over its live coverage of the tragedy. Host Katy Tur described Kirk as 'divisive' and 'polarising', while political analyst Matthew Dowd speculated on-air that the gunshot could even have come from one of Kirk's own supporters 'celebrating'.

'We don't know any of the full details of this yet,' Dowd said. 'We don't know if this is a supporter shooting their gun off in celebration or... So we have no idea about this.'

Critics branded the remarks 'shameful' and 'disgusting', accusing the network of politicising a tragedy before facts had been established. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy dismissed Dowd's comments, writing on X: 'I'm gonna go ahead and rule out that it was one of Charlie Kirk's supporters that accidentally shot him with a celebratory gun shot.'

Legacy Of A Conservative Firebrand

Since founding Turning Point USA in 2012, Kirk built it into one of the most prominent grassroots organisations on the right, mobilising young voters in support of Trump's campaigns. His fiery style and combative campus debates earned him millions of followers online, as well as fierce critics who accused him of fuelling division.

Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, their three-year-old daughter, and 16-month-old son. The couple had celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.

As investigations continue and tributes flow, Kirk's assassination highlights once more the rise in politically motivated violence across the United States. For many, his death is not just a loss to the conservative movement but a grim warning about the toxic climate enveloping American public life.