Witness Accounts of the Shooting at Charlie Kirk Event Spark Outrage and Fear

Wed Oct 22 2025 21:55:08 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Attendees at the tragic shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk describe a scene of chaos and fear at Utah Valley University, raising concerns about event security amid increasing gun violence.

In the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk during a campus event, witnesses recount moments of terror and confusion. Kirk was struck by a bullet fired from a nearby rooftop while addressing an audience of about 3,000. Eyewitness accounts highlight the mass panic that ensued, with attendees describing the chilling atmosphere as they fled for safety. The incident has raised critical questions about security measures at the event, emphasizing the need for improved protocols in light of escalating gun violence across the nation.

Attendees at the campus event where US conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday have described mass panic after a shot was heard.

Kirk, 31, was killed after he was hit in the neck by a single bullet, which law enforcement believes came from a shooter on the roof of a nearby building.

The influencer and close Donald Trump ally had been speaking to about 3,000 people on his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University.

Videos on social media show Kirk talked about gun violence moments before he was shot.

One eyewitness told BBC News: 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 Utah Valley University who described himself as a big fan of Kirk's and was at the rally, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that he was about 50ft (15m) away from Kirk.

I was sitting there filming him, I cut my video and just then I heard this shot, he said.

You don't really realise what's happened until it's happened. Charlie falls off his stool, everyone starts panicking.

LaFerber said he hid behind a cement terrace and then after about a minute of not hearing another gunshot, I got up and just booked it to the closest building I could see.

Witnesses continued to describe the chaos, with one named Danielle stating: It was horrible. 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'...And all I'm saying is, 'please, God, please, God, please, God,' because I don't want to die.

Jason Chaffetz, a former US congressman who was at the event with his daughter, recounted: The shot came straight at him, everyone hit the deck and scattered.

Videos from witnesses captured the frantic rush to flee the scene after the tragic shooting. The shot appeared to be fired from a roof about 100 to 200 yards away.

Emma Pitts, a reporter at Deseret News who attended the event, stated, I'll never get the image out of my head. She expressed surprise over the lack of security, noting, nobody scanned our equipment, nobody scanned our bags, there was no security like that. The university had provided minimal security, raising questions about safety protocols for such high-stake events.