COLUMBUS – Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has ordered that all U.S. and Ohio state flags be flown at half-staff on public buildings across the state until 6 p.m. on September 14, 2025, in honor of Charlie Kirk. The directive follows a similar proclamation by the President of the United States.
Who Was Charlie Kirk, and What Happened
Charlie Kirk, 31, was a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA. He was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, part of his “American Comeback Tour.”
Footage and eyewitnesses indicate that Kirk was sitting under a tent with an overhead sign that read “Prove Me Wrong,” answering a question from the audience about mass shootings. Just after 12:10 p.m. local time, a single shot was fired, reportedly from a rooftop about 200 yards away. Kirk was struck in the neck.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to his injuries later that day.
Reaction and Investigation
Authorities have not yet confirmed a suspect in custody, though two people were briefly detained and later released. The event and his death have drawn widespread national attention and condemnation. Governor Spencer Cox of Utah labeled the shooting a “political assassination.”
President Donald Trump expressed his condolences and ordered flags nationally to half-staff, calling Kirk “loved and admired by ALL.”
