A pastor has spoken about the gesture Charlie Kirk made in their final conversation, which took place hours before he was shot dead.
As widely reported, the conservative activist was assassinated on Wednesday (September 10) while speaking at Utah Valley University, where he was hosting the kickoff of his “American Comeback Tour.”
The 31-year-old Turning Point USA co-founder was shot in the neck during a debate attended by around 3,000 people.
Video from the scene shows Kirk recoiling in his chair as the crowd scattered in panic. He was rushed to the hospital in a private vehicle but later died of his injuries.
Pastor Jack Hibbs, a close friend of Kirk, said he was devastated by the news after having spoken to him just hours earlier.
“My initial thoughts, of course, like everyone else, is what is going on in our country?” Hibbs told Fox News Digital. “But then quickly, I think my second thought, which is the prevailing thought, is Charlie was obviously a young man of not only profound intellect, he had a great faith in Jesus.”
Hibbs, pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in California, recalled reaching out to Kirk on the day of the event to ask if his brother could attend.
“Charlie was so kind and generous to let this stranger have a front row seat,” he said. “And I know that that was Charlie loving on me by loving on my brother. And that’s just who he was, extremely, extremely generous.”
“My brother sent me pictures of him and Charlie, standing together before the event started and everything looked great,” Hibbs added. “And then my brother called me immediately during the shooting, I could hear people screaming and running, and my brother was about 25 to 35 feet away from Charlie.”
The pastor said Kirk’s assassination would only strengthen his legacy. “This just galvanized an entire generation of not only those who follow Charlie, but those who criticized him. They watched a young man lay down his life for his cause,” Hibbs said.
“And I do believe that the result of today is going to backfire on anyone who had nefarious plots to silence Charlie," he concluded.
Moments before the fatal shot, Kirk was engaged in a heated exchange on gun violence.
An audience member asked: “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” Kirk replied: “Too many.”
The person then said there had been five in 10 years and pressed him further. “Counting or not counting gang violence?” Kirk responded. Seconds later, the gunfire erupted.
President Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social, calling him “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk.”
In a video statement, the president said he was “filled with grief and anger” over the “heinous assassination.”
“Charlie inspired millions, and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” he said. “Charlie was a patriot who devoted his life to the cause of open debate and the country that he loved so much, the United States of America."
"He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom, and there's never been anyone who was so respected by youth.”
Trump added that Kirk loved his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two children “more than anything in the world,” calling the killing “a dark moment for America.”
Authorities revealed that two men were briefly detained as “persons of interest” but later released after investigators confirmed they had “no current ties” to the shooting.
Utah’s Department of Public Safety has described the suspect as male, “blended in well with the college institution,” and appearing “to be of college age,” per BBC News.
Officials confirmed they have images of the gunman but have not yet released them publicly.
“This shooting is still an active investigation,” the Department said in an update.