On Sept. 10, 2025, reports surfaced claiming conservative activist Charlie Kirk died at 31 after being shot at a Utah Valley University event. The claim was true.
Kirk was killed by a single shot in what was believed to be a targeted attack, Utah authorities reportedly said.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk's death in a post (archived) on Truth Social at 4:40 p.m. E.T. Sept. 10. He wrote:
The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you.
Kirk, a close ally of Trump, was the co-founder and CEO of the youth organization Turning Point USA. The organization acknowledged his death in a statement shared on X (archived), writing:
It is with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gunshot that took place during Turning Point USA's "The American Comeback Tour" campus event at Utah Valley University on September 20, 2025.
May he be received into the merciful arms of our living Savior, who suffered and died for Charlie.
We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers.
We ask that you please respect their privacy and dignity at this time.
Soon after reports of Kirk's death started circulating on social media, Snopes readers flooded our website to determine whether they were real or a hoax.
False death announcements are a common form of internet junk news often designed to convince gullible readers to fall for clickbait or phishing scams. (Here's a deeper look into the misinformation trend, and here's a running list of celebrities who have been targets of it.)