Who was Charlie Kirk? Anti-abortion, pro-gun freedom Trump ally shot dead in Utah

pop American pro-conservatism activistic Charlie Kirk was shot dead during a public event in Utah, sending shockwaves throughout the country.

His assassination became the latest case of political violence in the country, reigniting concerns around gun control and shooting incidents in the US.

Shot dead mid-speech answering a question on mass shooters, Kirk himself was a staunch supporter of the Second Amendment of the American constitution, that protects an individual right to own arms.

Charlie Kirk, 31, was touted as an icon of the conservative movement in the US. From asking women to prioritize motherhood over careers to once saying some gun deaths were "worth it", Kirk was no less than a controversial figure with many critics.

He was raised in Arlington Heights, a Chicago suburb, and later went on to become the founder of 'Turning Point America'.

He was a big ally of US President Donald Trump, who expressed great sorrow after he was shot dead in Utah on Wednesday (local time). The two shared a very close relationship since 2016 and Kirk was once called a 'warrior of light’ by the US President. He also played a key role in fostering the Trump-led MAGA movement. He frequently visited the White House and was one of very few people who golfed with Trump at Mar-a-Lago recently.

Charlie Kirk was a big pro-life supporter, speaking against abortion and use of birth control pills. He even made some controversial remarks on women, like saying those above 30 “aren’t attractive in the dating pool,” and that birth control made women more "angry and bitter".

A video of him debating a pro-choice woman once went viral, in which she asked whether he would support his 10-year-old daughter carrying a pregnancy if it resulted from rape. He replied: “The answer is yes, the baby would be delivered.”

In 2023, one of Charlie Kirk's remarks had gone viral in which he seemed to suggest that some deaths due to gun violence were “worth it” to have the Second Amendment to protect “God-given rights”.

He was a big supporter of gun rights in the country. He had made the remarks after a shooting at Christian Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee.

“You will never live in a society when you have an armed citizenry and you won't have a single gun death. That is nonsense. It's drivel. But I am -- I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights," Kirk had said.

Charlie Kirk is survived by a wife and two children - a daughter and a son. He got married to Erika Frantzve, a former beauty queen, in May 2021.

The couple have a daughter, Sarah Rose, born in 2021, and a son born in 2023.

A post shared by Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk1776)

Charlie Kirk's mother is reportedly a mental health counselor, and his late father, Robert W Kirk, ran his own architecture firm.

Kirk was shot dead on September 10 (local time) during a student Q&A at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem. He was answering a question on transgender mass shooters when he was suddenly shot.

He was rushed to a hospital following the shooting, but couldn't survive.

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