SALT LAKE CITY — Political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Kirk, the founder and president of Turning Point USA, was 31 and left behind a wife and two children, according to CBS News .

The rise of Charlie Kirk

Kirk had developed a large and loyal online following and was an ally of President Donald Trump. Many of Kirk’s college Q&As, similar to what was supposed to transpire on Wednesday, went viral over the years.

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA at the age of 18 in 2012, according to the BBC . Kirk grew up in the Chicago suburbs and dropped out of college to focus full-time on political activism.

Known as the “Trump whisperer,” Kirk was “deeply involved in vetting top positions for the administration following the ele

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