Witnesses at Utah Valley University have recounted a terrifying scene during a campus event on Wednesday, where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was tragically shot and killed. As Kirk, aged 31, was addressing a crowd of approximately 3,000 attendees, a loud bang disrupted the gathering, leading to widespread panic and chaos.
Witness accounts of the shooting
Kirk was struck in the neck by a single bullet, believed to have originated from a shooter on a nearby rooftop. Eyewitness reports reveal the shock and fear that immediately followed the incident. One attendee described the moment, stating,
“Me and my buddies were having a good time just listening to what was going on and we just saw it, heard a loud shout, loud bang and then I saw his body actually in slow motion kind of fall over.”
Porter LaFerber, a student at the university who considered himself a fan of Kirk’s, recounted being only 50 feet away from the stage. “I was sitting there filming him, I cut my video and just then I heard this shot,” LaFerber said. He described how the scene quickly devolved into chaos, with attendees scrambling for safety. “Charlie falls off his stool, everyone starts panicking,” he added. LaFerber sought refuge behind a cement terrace before making a hasty escape to a nearby building.
Aftermath and security concerns
Danielle, another eyewitness, was situated just 15 feet from Kirk when the shooting occurred. “It was horrible,” she recalled, “All I hear is screaming and I see people running and I’m like, ‘it’s not safe to run. It’s not safe to get up.’” In her fear, she pleaded,
“please, God, please, God, please, God, because I don’t want to die.”
Former US Congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event with his daughter, described the immediate aftermath: “The shot came straight at him,” he said, noting how quickly the crowd reacted, with many people hitting the ground and seeking cover. Adam Bartholomew, who was present interviewing counter-protesters, noted the confusion that ensued as people began to flee the venue.
In light of the shooting, security measures at the event have come under scrutiny. Emma Pitts, a journalist who was reporting on the event, expressed her surprise at the lack of security checks, stating, “I was surprised that nobody scanned our equipment, nobody scanned our bags, there was no security like that.” Bartholomew echoed her sentiments, recalling that he was not stopped nor searched upon entry.
Following the incident, students were placed on lockdown and were not allowed to return to their apartments until the early hours of the morning as authorities searched for the shooter, who remained at large. Student Brock Anderson described the atmosphere on campus as unsettling, emphasizing the lingering fear among students: “It’s unsettling around the campus right now, like I’m just trying to walk home, and it’s just unsettling.”