Charlie Kirk, a major figure in the American conservative movement and co -founder of the USA Turning Point student organization, was assassinated Wednesday during a meeting organized on the University of the Utah (Utah Valley University) campus in Orem.
The drama occurred outdoors, in front of more than three thousand people. While addressed the crowd as part of his tour called “American Comeback Tour”, a bullet drawn from a neighboring building reached him on the neck. Quickly transported to hospital, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival.
The news of his death caused a shock wave in the United States. Utah governor Spencer Cox denounced a “political assassination”, while President Donald Trump praised the memory of a “patriot and martyr”, ordering that the flags be put at half mast. Many political leaders, all trends combined, have condemned the rise in political violence and called for national unity.
The exact circumstances of the attack remain unclear. A suspect was briefly arrested before being released, and the investigation continues to identify the perpetrator (s) of this murder. This event relaunches the debate on the security of political meetings, in particular on university campuses, where protection systems are deemed insufficient by several observers.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk, in a political climate already marked by a strong polarization, raises strong concerns about the future of the public debate in the United States and on the capacity of the country to guarantee the security of those who speak on the political scene.
