Witnesses recall Charlie Kirk's last moments before his fatal shooting at Utah Valley University

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead on September 10, 2025, while presenting at Utah Valley University. 

The 31-year-old ally of the United States President Donald Trump was struck in the neck during the event, sending the audience into a frenzy.

Kirk was immediately rushed to a hospital. However, shortly after, Trump took to social media to announce Kirk’s death.

According to a CBS News report, published on September 10, 2025, eyewitnesses said that Kirk had just begun debating gun violence with the audience before he was seemingly targeted for assassination. 

One witness, Raydon DeChene, told CBS News that she watched everything happen right before her eyes.

She narrated that she was “right up front” when Kirk was fatally shot. She confirmed watching “blood pouring out everywhere.” DeChene further added that Kirk’s eyes rolled back before he became unconscious.

What followed the shooting was simply chaos, as DeChene recalled that after she heard the sound of the gunshot, she and everybody else dropped to the ground and ran out. 

Witnesses note that Charlie Kirk’s event fell short in security measures

DeChene, as well as other witnesses, told CBS News that the influential activist had “ironically” only begun speaking about mass shootings when he was shot dead.

DeChene noted that before the debate began, the crowd was “just having a good time.” According to her statement, the atmosphere was pleasant and people were chanting Kirk's name. 

UVU Chief of Police Jeffrey Long issued a statement on Wednesday, stating that there were over 3,000 people in the audience.

However, there were only six university officers policing the Orem event, which was part of The American Comeback Tour. 

“We train for these things, and you think you have things covered and these things, unfortunately, they happen. You try to get your bases covered and, unfortunately, today we didn’t,” Long told the reporters. 

Although there were a few plainclothes officers and members of Kirk’s own security team, witnesses said that no major security measures were in place for the event. 

Jordan Last told CBS News that he arrived at the event at around 12 p.m. local time and saw that the debate had already started.

However, he faced no difficulty in walking past the security detail. Last mentioned that he was able to secure a seat 50 to 100 feet away from Kirk, as he had plans of “challenging him on a couple of things.”

He added that he respected him and wanted to speak with him, but unfortunately, he could not. 

“The first question had just finished… and they had just gotten into the second question, I believe, and that's when I heard the huge pop,” he recalled.

Another eyewitness, Max Stanley, told CBS affiliate KUTV that he watched Kirk’s body fall over in “slow motion.”

Like the other witnesses, Stanley stated that chaos ensued right after the shot was heard. He saw people rushing, while he tried to get everyone out as quickly as possible. 

Hours after Kirk was rushed to the hospital, President Trump took to Truth Social to confirm Kirk’s death.

“No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,” he wrote.

Soon after, conflicting news about Kirk’s killer began to circulate. While Utah Gov. Spencer Coz said that a “person of interest is in custody,” Utah Commissioner of Public Safety Beau Mason mentioned that the suspect was still at large. 

Stay tuned for more updates.