Charlie Kirk sat comfortably back in a tent roof on a stage on the university campus and discussed mass shootings. When asked how many such incidents had occurred in the last decade, he replied rhetorically.
Are you counting gang violence or not?
A shot is heard. Video clips on social media show how blood begins to gush from the influencer's neck and how he collapses.
The blood was flowing and I was so scared, not just for his sake but for my own safety, says witness Madison Lattin to AP
Some of the nearly 3,000 in the audience threw themselves to the ground. Others fled. Lattin, who herself ran from the scene, says she saw listeners running through fountains, losing shoes and bags. Some were trampled.
Targeted attack?
About an hour later, Donald Trump delivered the news of the death. The President, who was close to Kirk and has campaigned with him, calls the 31-year-old a "freedom and truth martyr" in social media.
According to authorities in Utah, the conservative debater was killed with a shot fired from a roof by a man in dark clothing. It is suspected that it was a targeted attack carried out by a lone perpetrator.
Two people were arrested shortly after the fatal shooting but released after questioning, according to media. Now, a major search effort is reported to be underway, involving both the FBI and the state police.
The murder is feared to fuel polarization in the US. In a video clip on his own platform Truth Social, President Trump claims that what he describes as the "extreme left's" rhetoric contributed to the influencer's death.
Utah's Republican Governor Spencer Cox calls the incident a "political execution" and reminds at a press conference that his state applies the death penalty.
This is a dark day for our state. It's a tragic day for our country, he says.
Helped Trump
Podcast host and commentator Charlie Kirk has in recent years become an increasingly influential voice in the debate with 5.2 million followers on X and 7.3 million followers on Tiktok. He was particularly known for organizing public debates with young people, like the one in Utah.
Father of two Kirk is believed to have played a major role in Donald Trump's election victory last year, through his mobilization of young right-wing voters. As an 18-year-old, he co-founded the conservative student organization Turning Point USA.
Corrected: In an earlier version of the text, a quote was incorrectly attributed to US President Donald Trump.
