WASHINGTON

Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, was one of the most influential figures in America’s conservative youth movement, with millions of followers on social media.

Kirk, 31, in 2012 co-founded Turning Point USA, a nonprofit that mobilizes conservative students on high school and college campuses. Its stated mission is to “identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.”

The group, where Kirk served as executive director, became a key player in Republican politics, regularly hosting large conferences and drawing high-profile figures from President Donald Trump’s circle. Kirk also emerged as a key voice in Trump’s signature MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Kirk left college to focus on full-time political activism. He built a large following through campus events, social media, and The Charlie Kirk Show, a popular talk show and podcast.

He was known for confrontational campus debates, including his “prove me wrong” sessions, as part of the “American Comeback Tour,” where audience members debate the activist in a public setting. Wednesday’s shooting at Utah Valley University occurred during one of these events.

A staunch Trump ally, Kirk spoke at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he highlighted challenges facing younger Americans.

“According to current projections, one-third of today’s young Americans will never get married,” he said, adding that many are having fewer children because they cannot afford them. “The American dream has become a luxury item for the wealthy elite.”

He was also a frequent speaker at Trump campaign rallies.

Supporters hailed him as a leading voice for young conservatives, while critics accused him of fueling division. Last year, he faced criticism for opposing birth control, claiming it makes young women “angry and bitter.”

The father of two, with his wife Erika Frantzve, was addressing students at Utah Valley University when the deadly shooting occurred. FBI Director Kash Patel pledged support for an investigation.

Footage posted on social media showed Kirk sitting under a canopy addressing hundreds of assembled students when a sound like a gunshot rang out. Kirk recoiled as students began fleeing en masse.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump later said that Kirk had died.