SALEM, Oregon — Turning Point USA founder and pro-life conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday during a college speaking event in Utah. He was 31 years old.
“I was overwhelmed, devastated, and heartbroken when I heard of Charlie Kirk’s brutal assassination today,” Oregon Right to Life executive director Lois Anderson said. “Charlie was a young husband, father of two children, and a committed advocate for pro-life conservative values. He devoted his life, from his beginnings in politics as a teenager, to changing the culture for good through open and productive dialogue about the issues that truly matter.”
“Charlie lived according to his deeply-held faith and moral convictions,” she said. “He consistently stood up for the most vulnerable, the unborn, and families.”
“Along with the entire Oregon Right to Life team, I grieve with and pray for Charlie’s family as they endure this unimaginable loss,” Anderson said.
A prominent voice in conservative politics and commentary, Charlie Kirk entered the political scene in 2012 at just 18 years old when he founded Turning Point USA to advance conservative politics on college campuses. He became a popular podcaster, authored numerous books, and was well-known for his appearances at college campuses in which he invited open discussion and debate about topics including abortion. He is survived by his wife, Erika Lane Frantzve, and their two young children.
