Freya Scott-Turner
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

For people outside the US, Kirk's significance to the Trump movement may be hard to grasp, as many countries - the UK included - don't have a comparable figure.

"Other than my father, [Kirk] was the single-handed most important player of the last election," the president's son Donald Trump Jr told the Megyn Kelly Show last night.

Despite not holding elected office, Kirk became a big part of the Trump machine through being able to reach young people on social media.

Trump Jr says Kirk, who died aged 31, "moved the youth vote... especially the male vote".

"When you're that age, it's a little more effective than sending an 85-year-old establishment politician... who doesn't understand social media... doesn't feel the vibe of what's going on. Charlie did those things."

Analysis by Navigator Research conducted around the time of the election suggested 52% of Trump supporters got their news from social media.

Trump made a string of appearances on podcasts hosted by influencers like Logan Paul, Adina Ross and Joe Rogan, and turned to social media activists to reach voters they might otherwise struggled to make an impression with.

In the end, Trump increased his shared of the youth vote from 36% in 2020 to 46% in 2024, according to Circle, a centre that researches youth civic engagement.

That helped Trump to a decisive win - and, as the president's son makes clear, his camp viewed Kirk as a major factor in that.

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Yesterday, Trump told reporters he would be attending Kirk's funeral.

He said: "I believe it's in Arizona. They've asked me to go, and I think I have an obligation."

"Whenever it is, I'll be going," he adds.

The manhunt for the gunman who killed Charlie Kirk continues. This is what we know.

• The suspect arrived on campus at 11:52 local time on Wednesday
• He reached his position by climbing the stairwells to the roof, before opening fire at around 12:20
• CCTV footage shows a figure dressed in black running across a roof before dropping down to the ground and fleeing
• The FBI recovered a weapon - an imported Mauser .30-06 bolt action rifle - in a wooded area near the scene wrapped in a towel
• They are also analysing a palm print and a "footwear impression"

But there is still a great deal we don't know, including:

• Where the search is being carried out - Utah law enforcement agency has "no idea" if suspect still in state

• The name of the suspected gunman or any other identifying details
• Whether police know some of that information and have chosen not to make it public at this stage

US military leaders have warned troops and staff over posts mocking the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

Writing on X, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell says it is "unacceptable for military personnel and Department of War civilians to celebrate or mock the assassination of a fellow American. The Department of War has zero tolerance for it."

Responding, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says: "We are tracking all these very closely — and will address, immediately. Completely unacceptable."

It is unclear which posts Parnell and Hegseth are referring to.

As a reminder, Donald Trump recently ordered the Department of Defense be rebranded as the Department of War.

Image source, FBI

Investigators are describing the person pictured in the CCTV stills above as a "person of interest" while they try to gather more information which could lead to the individual being labelled a suspect, a former FBI special agent has told the BBC News Channel.

Kenneth Gray says law enforcement will be doing a "deep dive" into the leads that could identify the person pictured in photos the FBI released, in what Gray described as a "rapidly evolving investigation".

But the description "suspect" has been used by Utah officials when describing the video of a person seen jumping down from a roof at Utah Valley University.

Gray says having an identification "is only half of the equation, the other half is locating that person".

"People are hurting, they're in shock," US conservative political commentator and radio host Scott Jennings tells the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

"Charlie Kirk went to college campuses, which are not hotbeds of conservative activity, and he wanted to engage in civil discourse with people that disagreed with him," Jennings says.

"That's kind of how we're supposed to do it," he continues. "Using speech is the opposite of using violence to solve our problems in the political system."

When asked how this has affected him professionally, Jennings responds saying "tremendously."

"I respected what Charlie did and I respect people that engage in debate. I believe it’s the bedrock of our political system and to think Charlie was gunned down in the middle of one of these debates, it’s really shaken me to the core," he answers.

Jennings says that the White House Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, had told him that before Kirk was killed that they were planning further action on how to handle violent crime in the US.

"This adds a heightened sense of urgency to that," he says.

Charlie Kirk supporters across the US have been organising vigils to remember the activist and influencer.

Trump ordered flags at public buildings to be flown at half mast, highlighting the closeness of the White House to Kirk

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Tiffany Wertheimer and Gabriela Pomeroy
BBC News

Image source, EPA

The sudden and violent death of Charlie Kirk, who rallied a youth movement and held celebrity status among his fans, has sparked fierce debate over his political legacy.

The 31-year-old's young supporters appreciated his conservative Christian values and frank opinions. Speaking to the BBC, many were in tears as they remembered a man who listened to them and understood their concerns.

His views were polarising on the college campuses where he held large events, and his provocative speeches would draw crowds of vocal opponents as well as fans.

Now, both supporters and opponents have been left shaken after he was killed by a single shot on stage while debating at a university in Utah.

"I am sad, distraught," said the left-wing influencer Dean Withers, 21, who is known for posting about political issues and debating conservatives, including Kirk.

Julia Pierce, who has been a member of Kirk's organisation, Turning Point USA, for more than 10 years, said he would be remembered for giving young conservatives in America the confidence to be themselves.

"It used to be that for young people it was cool to be a Democrat. But he made it cool to be a Trump supporter and to wear the Maga hat and live your life with traditional family values," she told the BBC.

Read more on how young fans and critics have been reacting to Kirk's death here.

Christal Hayes
Reporting from Utah

I spoke to a student earlier who broke down in tears when detailing what the last day has been like.

Scott Sperry, a 22-year-old sophomore here at Utah Valley University, attended Kirk’s event on Wednesday. He told me how excited he was. He’d watched Kirk’s videos online for years and was able to snag some space at the very front of the audience to watch him debate students.

Then a bang rang out. At first everyone was confused. Maybe it was a firecracker, he thought initially. Then he watched in horror as someone he considers a “conservative idol” fell limp with blood gushing from his neck.

“I am trying to deal with it,” he says, choking up as he recites what he witnessed. “Trying to get my mind off things.”

He says he’s been leaning on friends but plans to utilise campus resources to deal with the trauma.

“I keep seeing it every time I close my eyes,” he says. “It’s everywhere, no matter where I go. I’m just reliving the moment over and over again.”

These are the most recent photos of the person of interest released by investigators.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox said last night that over 7,000 leads and tips have been submitted by the public so far.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

The chief of Utah's Department of Public Safety has told NBC News they "have no idea" if the suspect is still in Utah.

Beau Mason was asked by NBC if it was his "understanding that this individual may be close by or still in Utah".

Mason responded: "We have no idea. We're exploring leads for individuals out of state and individuals that live close by.

"We literally have persons of interest tips coming in on the tip line that are spanning far and wide."

Authorities have released a video of the suspect fleeing the scene, which you can watch here.

Here's a breakdown of what that footage shows.

Image source, FBI

Image source, FBI

Image source, FBI

Image source, FBI

Charlie Kirk's body has been flown to Arizona, where he lived with his family, on the vice-president's Air Force Two plane.

Vice-President JD Vance accompanied the coffin, along with his wife Usha, who was seen comforting Kirk's widow Erika as they disembarked from the plane.

Earlier, footage posted on social media showed Vance helping to carry the casket as it was brought onto the plane in Utah, where the shooting happened on Wednesday.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, @tylerbowyer

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Several hours ago, police sources told the BBC's US news partner CBS that investigators had the name of a "person of interest" in the Charlie Kirk shooting.

However, the same sources have since told CBS that investigators did have the identity of a person of interest they were working with - but "that lead has not panned out".

In the last few hours, officials gave a press conference where they released video footage of the suspect, and showed images of a "person of interest" - but didn't give a name.

Image source, Reuters

It's just approaching midnight in Utah, where the search for Charlie Kirk's killer continues. If you're just joining our coverage, here are the latest developments.

• Authorities have released a new video of a suspect fleeing the scene following the shooting. The figure, dressed all in black, is seen running across a roof before dropping to the ground. You can see the video above

• More images of a "person of interest" have also been released, with the Utah Governor Spencer Cox saying that over 7,000 leads and tips have been submitted by the public so far

Image source, Reuters

• Earlier, three police sources told the BBC's US media partner CBS News that investigators believed they had the name of a person of interest - but later said that lead was unsuccessful
• Local officials say the state of Utah plans to seek the death penalty in Kirk's murder
• Kirk's body was flown from Utah to Arizona, accompanied by US Vice-President JD Vance onboard Air Force Two

Image source, BBC News

Earlier today, BBC chief presenter Caitriona Perry spoke to David Engelhardt, Charlie Kirk's pastor and a board member of Kirk's organisation, Turning Point USA.

He says that Kirk was a great friend and courageous person who "stood against the orthodoxy of our time" and encouraged an open dialogue on campuses.

"His premise was to begin conversations with people. And the reality is conversations are challenging and polarising," Engelhardt says.

Perry notes in the interview that some of Kirk's views were controversial and offensive, but that he always wanted to have that debate to justify his viewpoints and hear what others had to say. Engelhardt agrees.

"Finding a balance in a politically divided time where entertainment media feeds on controversy - and controversy is not a bad thing necessarily - but when it's inflamed to the point of violence, we have real problems," he says.

Engelhardt adds that it seems "imperative that political conversations continue", but also "that the love and the decision to respect the dignity of the human being remains essential in the conversation".

Update 23 September: This post originally quoted remarks from Pastor David Engelhardt which included the observation that Charlie Kirk stood “specifically against nonviolence”. Given the wider context to Pastor Engelhardt’s remarks, and the implication that he misspoke and had intended to say “against violence,” we removed this sentence from the post in the hours after publication.

Watch: New clues in hunt for Charlie Kirk’s killerpublished at 06:16 BST 12 September

06:16 BST 12 September

The FBI has released new footage showing the suspect in the killing of US activist Charlie Kirk running across a roof - from where the fatal shot was fired - before dropping to the ground and crossing a road.

As the authorities continue their search, BBC Verify’s Nick Beake has been looking at the footage and what we know so far.

Image source, Reuters

It's just past 23:00 in Utah - if you're just joining us now, here are the latest developments.

• The FBI held a short press conference a few hours ago, where they released a new video of the suspect fleeing the scene of the shooting
• The suspect was wearing Converse shoes and a "distinctive" black t-shirt with an American flag and eagle, which the FBI highlighted as key details that could lead to identifying the suspect

• Officials said they believe the suspect is of "college-age" and have recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle - an imported Mauser. 30-06 bolt-action rifle - which they believed was used in the shooting
• The governor added that authorities were gathering the evidence needed to "pursue the death penalty"

• Charlie Kirk's casket was flown from Utah to Arizona on Air Force Two - the vice-president's aircraft - with the Vice-President JD Vance on board
• The police department have said that multiple leads are being investigated but that no suspect has been caught yet
• Vigils were held across the US on Thursday evening to commemorate Kirk, who was an influential conservative activist

Stay with us as we bring you the latest.

People across the US have on Thursday evening been attending vigils in memory of Charlie Kirk.

At Orem City Center Park, Utah - a short drive from the university campus where Kirk was fatally shot - crowds gathered, lighting candles and waving flags as a way of paying their respects.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Others gathered outside the mortuary in Phoenix, Arizona where the body of Charlie Kirk has been delivered.

Image source, Reuters

And in Florida, memorials were held on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.

Image source, Reuters

Former FBI agent Dennis Franks spoke to the BBC News Channel earlier, and said that he believed the shooter was likely a hunter.

“It required a lot of confidence to be able to take the shot, to execute and hit where it did,” he told the BBC, explaining that the distance of the shooting would not be challenging for an experienced shooter.

While "anyone could go down to a rifle range and train with a scope", the former FBI agent said it was a combination of the area and the "confidence" of the gunman that suggested to him that the person who shot Charlie Kirk could be a hunter.

“I tend to think from a behavioural standpoint that he acted alone,” he said.

He urged people to be patient, and reiterated that he was confident that the shooter would be identified, after which it would "be a matter of finding him".