The Latest: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk is shot and killed while speaking at a Utah college

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed by a single shot in a targeted attack during an outdoor event Wednesday at Utah Valley University, authorities said.

Kirk co-founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA and was a close ally of President Donald Trump.

No one was in custody Wednesday evening as authorities seek a new person of interest in the assassination, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. The Utah Department of Public Safety also confirmed no one was in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.

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

The shooting comes amid a spike in attacks on political figures in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum.

Here's the latest:

People gather outside hospital where Kirk was pronounced dead

The crowd outside Timpanogos Regional Hospital lined the road, holding American flags as passing cars honked. Visitors placed lit candles, bouquets of flowers and small American flags in front of a large hospital sign.

As the sun set in Utah, some attendees read Bible passages, while others spoke about continuing the work that Kirk had begun.

Kirk event attendee describes scattered belongings in wake of shooting

Erynn Lammi, a 35-year old student in attendance who heard the gunshot, stayed back rather than immediately evacuating.

After the panic subsided, Lammi saw belongings, including AirPods, phones, keys and trash, strewn across the steps of the courtyard.

When she returned home, Lammi sobbed, feeling for Kirk’s wife and children as she was reminded of the loss of her own father when she was 13 years old.

One of the emotions she said she felt as she cried: “Powerlessness.”

‘It was a nightmare’

Ryan DeVries, who works in property management and volunteers as a first responder, left his firearm in his car before attending Kirk’s event, anticipating metal detectors. He said he was surprised by the lack of security.

The 25-year-old was weaving his way through the tightly-packed crowd to pose a question to Kirk when, at about 50 feet (15 meters) away, he heard what sounded like a “popping” firework. Then he saw Kirk’s head slumped.

A stampede rife with terror and panic soon erupted, DeVries said. Some attendees darted to a nearby building and ran through a water fountain to escape. Others ducked down.

“People definitely feared for their lives. I could see it in their eyes. I could hear it in their voices. People were crying. People were screaming. It was a nightmare,” DeVries said.

DeVries walked up to the university’s Turning Point student chapter table, where he joined its members in a prayer for Kirk.

“It was a come together moment.”

Thousands of people went to see Kirk speak

Authorities say about 3,000 people attended the Utah college event where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement Wednesday evening that the event was held at an outdoor bowl courtyard on campus known as the university quad. It is a common spot for campus events.

Black Lives Matter affiliate calls on US political leaders to ‘condemn all political violence’

“We cannot ignore the flames of political violence threatening society,” said Shalomyah Bowers, a leader of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation Inc.

Charlie Kirk had maligned the Black Lives Matter movement at the heigh of a national reckoning on racism.

“We are committed to breaking the pattern of reactionary violence, moral relativism, and dehumanization — and urge everyone to resist calls for revenge,” Bowers said. “Vigilante justice has no place in a just society. Not on the left. Not on the right. Not in response to racism, and not in the name of righteousness. It must be rejected, always.”

Graphic video of Kirk shooting was everywhere online, showing how media gatekeeper role has changed

Traditional news organizations were cautious in their coverage of Kirk’s assassination not to depict the moment he was shot, instead showing video of him tossing a hat to his audience moments before, and panicked onlookers scattering wildly in the moments after.

In practical terms, though, it mattered little. Gory video of the shooting was available almost instantly across social media platforms, from several angles, in slow-motion and real-time speed. Millions of people watched.

In the fragmented era of social media, smartphones and instant video uploads, editorial decisions by legacy media are less impactful than ever.

There can also be an important message sent by news outlets being cautious in what they show, Cornell University professor Sarah Kreps said. “It can be a signal for how things should be stigmatized, rather than validated or normalized.”

But on the day of the shooting in a politically polarized country, the easy availability of shocking images ran the risk of making society’s wound even more painful.

▶ Read more here about how the videos spread

Trump condemns ‘demonizing’ of political opponents

Trump has condemned the “demonizing” of political opponents in the U.S. even as he claimed the rhetoric of the “radical left” was “directly responsible” for the assassination of Kirk.

Authorities have not named a suspect and no one is in custody for the killing.

In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday, Trump called Kirk “a martyr for truth and freedom.”

The Republican president faced two assassination attempts during last year’s campaign, and he was wounded in one.

In his remarks, Trump mentioned shootings of United Healthcare’s chief executive and Republican Rep. Steve Scalise. But he omitted any reference to attacks on Democrats, such as the killing of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman.

“Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” he said.

Vigil held at park in Orem, Utah

A few dozen people gathered, holding electric candles in the slanting afternoon light. Bible verses were read to the quiet onlookers.

A witness testified of what she observed: The crack of a gunshot, Kirk keeling over and then her run through campus.

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This post has been updated to correct the name of the city where the vigil was held to Orem, not Omer.

‘We’ve got something to fight for’

Cari Bartholomew, state director of Utah Moms for America, said she had taken her 17-year-old son out of school so he could attend Kirk’s event. They were joined by other moms from the group and their kids.

Bartholomew’s son was in line waiting to ask a question when the gunshot rang out. Chaos ensued and she couldn’t find him as people ducked for cover and started running. She later learned her son was unharmed.

“All of us, we were trying to grab the little kids and getting them as near to us as possible,” she said.

She said some students were visibly distraught while others laughed, and said she’s concerned that people are being taught to hate others who have viewpoints different from their own.

Rather than fall into a place of fear, Bartholomew said she hopes people will be inspired to pick up where Kirk left off and continue to push for civil engagement.

“I hope that it gets people to steel their spines,” she said. “We’ve got something to fight for.”

Banner in Kirk’s memory installed outside Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix

“May Charlie be received into the merciful arms of Jesus, our loving Savior,” the large banner reads alongside a photo of Kirk and the Turning Point logo.

No one is currently in custody, authorities say

Authorities are seeking a new person of interest in Kirk’s assassination, according to a law enforcement official.

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

The Utah Department of Public Safety has also confirmed no one is currently in custody in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.