Utah: Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and close ally of Donald Trump, was shot and killed during a Utah Valley University event in what Gov. Spencer Cox condemned as a “political assassination.”

Kirk, 31, was seated under a white tent answering audience questions when a single gunshot rang out. The Charlie Kirk assassination video, verified by the Associated Press, shows Kirk reaching up with his right hand as blood poured from the left side of his neck. Panic erupted as stunned spectators screamed and fled the courtyard.

“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Gov. Cox said. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”

The authorities said the shooter, dressed in dark clothing, fired from a rooftop on the Utah Valley University campus. A person of interest was taken into custody, though officials have not released a name, motive, or charges.

Immediately before the shooting, Kirk was responding to a pointed question about gun violence. “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” an audience member asked. “Too many,” Kirk replied. Moments later, the fatal shot was fired.

Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on social media, calling him “Great, and even Legendary.” He ordered flags lowered to half-staff and issued a presidential proclamation.

The assassination drew swift condemnation across the political spectrum. “The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Gabrielle Giffords, the former Democratic congresswoman wounded in a 2011 mass shooting, said: “The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathies are with his wife, two young children, and friends.”

Former Utah congressman Jason Chaffetz, who attended the event, recalled hearing the shot: “It seemed like it was a close shot. Utah is one of the safest places on the planet, and so we just don’t have these types of things.”

The armed officers evacuated the campus and combed nearby neighbourhoods for leads. Cox pledged the shooter would be held accountable “in a state with the death penalty.”