Shot dead on a Utah campus | Donald Trump announces the death of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk

(Los Angeles) Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, a major voice of pro-Trump youth in the United States, was shot on Wednesday at a public meeting at a university, the American president announced.

“The great and even legendary Charlie Kirk died,” said Donald Trump on his social social network, ordering that the flags be put at half mast in the country in his tribute.

“No one understood better (…) the youth of the United States of America than Charlie. Everyone loved him and admired him, especially me, and now he is no longer with us, “added the president, who himself has resumed two assassination attempts.

Fond of oratorical jousts with the students, the 31 -year -old podcaster participated in an event on the campus of Utah Valley University, in the west of the country, when he was targeted, according to the university.

Around noon local time, “we shot a shot on Charlie Kirk, guest speaker. He was touched and evacuated from the places by his bodyguards, ”wrote the University on X.

The author of the shooting is actively sought, said the university authorities, which had previously reported an arrest, ultimately without follow -up.

Videos show Charlie Kirk, hit in the neck, collapsing on his chair, and cries of panic being heard in the audience.

Charlie Kirk had been an important cog in the last Donald Trump electoral campaign.

“Political violence has no room in America,” said former vice-president Kamala Harris, joined in this sense by many other Democratic Party figures like the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom.

“Blood fountain”

The former parliamentarian of Utah Jason Chaffetz, who was there, told Fox News that Charlie Kirk answered questions from the public when he was touched.

“The first question was on religion. He spoke for about 15-20 minutes. The second question, in an interesting way, focused on transgender shooters, shooters who make multiple victims, and during his answer, the shot broke out, “said the politician, visibly shaken.

“Lots of people started screaming, and everyone started running,” he continued.

Sophie Anderson, 45, told the Daily Mail That it was 30 meters from the scene and had immediately understood that it was a shot.

“He was touched around the neck and collapsed, he was only a blood fountain,” she told the newspaper.

Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Charlie Kirk, father of two, had abandoned his studies to devote himself to militancy.

He was at the head of a youth movement: turning point USA. Co-founded in 2012 by the influencer, then aged 18, this association became in a decade the largest group of young conservatives in the United States.

It includes an army of enthusiastic activists, some of whom had been sent by bus to Washington to the demonstration of January 6, 2021 which had led to the invasion of the Capitol.

Its influence-6.9 million subscribers on Instagram and 3.8 million on YouTube-had largely served Donald Trump to seduce young American men by promoting an ultra-traditional design of the family.