A witness who noticed the second Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday mentioned the conservative activist had simply begun debating somebody about mass shootings and gun violence when the gunshot struck the 31-year-old within the neck.
Raydon DeChene informed CBS Information she was among the many crowd at Kirk’s occasion at Utah Valley College, standing close to the Turning Level USA co-founder’s “Show Me Flawed” out of doors tent, the place he invitations college students to problem his political and cultural views.
“I used to be proper up entrance,” DeChene mentioned, who famous Kirk was, “sarcastically,” speaking about gun management earlier than he was shot.
Instantly, DeChene mentioned she noticed Kirk seize what she believed was his neck.
“And there is simply blood pouring out all over the place and his eyes form of rolled again,” she mentioned. “At that time, I form of appeared up as a result of it sounds prefer it got here up from behind me, up the hill. It was only one pop, after which all of us dropped to the bottom. Then they informed us all to run. So all of us ran out.”
Different witnesses additionally informed CBS affiliate KUTV that Kirk was about to reply a query about gun violence when he was shot.
Earlier than the talk started, DeChene mentioned the group was “simply having a very good time” as they loved the environment and chanting Kirk’s title. The occasion on the Orem, Utah, college was a part of TPUSA’s “The American Comeback Tour.”
At at a information convention on Wednesday, UVU Chief of Police Jeffrey Lengthy mentioned there have been over 3,000 folks in attendance, however there have been solely six college officers working the occasion, with some plain garments officers within the crowd. Along with the native officers, Lengthy mentioned his group coordinated with Kirk’s safety group.
“We practice for these items, and also you assume you will have issues coated and these items, sadly, they occur,” Lengthy informed reporters. “You attempt to get your bases coated and, sadly, in the present day we did not.”
When requested about what sort of safety the occasion had, DeChene and different witnesses mentioned that there was no main safety or any metallic detectors.
Jordan Final informed CBS Information he arrived on the occasion round 12 p.m. native time, when it began, saying that he noticed some safety element however walked proper previous them. He mentioned he made his option to the top of the road, about 50 to 100 toes to the appropriate of Kirk, as a result of he was “trying ahead to difficult him on a few issues.”
“I actually respect him and I needed to speak to him,” Final mentioned. “The primary query had simply completed … they usually had simply gotten into the second query, I consider, and that is once I heard an enormous pop.”
One other witness, Max Stanley, a pitcher for the Utah Valley College baseball group, informed KUTV that he and a few of his associates have been additional away from the tent, however they may hear the loud gunshot.
“I noticed his physique truly in sluggish movement form of fall over,” Stanley mentioned. “There have been folks simply speeding. I used to be doing all I may to assist them out. Get them out.”
A number of hours after the taking pictures, President Trump confirmed on social media that Kirk had died.
“Nobody understood or had the Coronary heart of the Youth in the US of America higher than Charlie. He was cherished and admired by ALL, particularly me, and now, he’s not with us,” Mr. Trump wrote on Fact Social.
The gunman was nonetheless at massive as of Wednesday night time. Two folks had been taken into custody within the hours following the taking pictures, however each have been finally launched, and neither had ties to the taking pictures, the Utah Division of Public Security mentioned in an announcement. One of many males was charged with obstruction, the division mentioned.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox additionally mentioned authorities are on the lookout for “anybody” who has any details about the taking pictures, including that investigators do not consider there’s a second individual concerned.
Whereas the motive behind the taking pictures is unknown, elected officers on either side of the aisle swiftly condemned the assault on Kirk and denounced acts of political violence.
Mr. Trump mentioned he is ordering all American flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of Kirk till Sunday.
