Conservative activist Charlie Kirk died Wednesday after he was shot during an event at Utah Valley University.
The 31-year-old CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA was at a debate hosted by TPUSA, according to the Associated Press, when the shooting took place. AP reported that an online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly 1,000 signatures.
“I am saddened for Charlie’s family, friends and Arizonans as they mourn his loss, and I am saddened for our country as our politics have descended into horrific violence,” Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a statement. “This tragedy is not about who Charlie Kirk supported politically. It is about the devastating loss of a father, a neighbor, and an Arizonan who called this state home, and whose life was cut short by senseless violence.”
Authorities continue to investigate and search for the shooter.
Kirk visited the University of Arizona last fall during his You’re Being Brainwashed Tour.
