House Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and California Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke out after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at an event in Utah on Wednesday.
"The horrific shooting today at Utah Valley University is reprehensible. Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation," Pelosi said in a statement. "All Americans should pray for Charlie Kirk’s recovery and hold the entire UVU community in our hearts as they endure the trauma of this gun violence."
Newsom said the shooting was "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible."
"In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form," Newsom said in a statement.
The Deseret News reported that bystanders saw Kirk shot near his neck during a Q&A with students at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
The suspected shooter has not been arrested, Orem, Utah, Mayor David Young said. A person who was taken into custody by law enforcement at the university where Kirk was speaking was not the suspect, according to a person familiar with the investigation who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Kirk posted on X minutes before the incident, the Daily Mail reported, although the post appears to have been deleted. The post showed photos of Kirk and the crowd.
"WE. ARE. SO. BACK," Kirk wrote at 2:23 p.m. EDT. "Utah Valley University is FIRED UP and READY for the first stop back on the American Comeback Tour."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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