Overview
- Kirk, 31, was struck by a single long-range shot during a Q&A on mass shootings at Utah Valley University, according to eyewitness accounts and video.
- FBI Director Kash Patel said a person taken into custody was released after interrogation, and the investigation continues with public appeals for information.
- Snopes verified that in 2023 Kirk said some gun deaths were “worth” preserving the Second Amendment, a clip that spread widely after his death.
- Michigan Judge Jaimie Powell Horowitz reposted the 2023 clip with the comment “Talk about dying for your beliefs,” drawing GOP calls for her resignation that she refused, saying her post was factual.
- Political leaders including President Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Barack Obama issued statements denouncing the killing.