Manhunt after Kirk ‘assassination’

A MANHUNT was underway yesterday after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot to death at a university in Utah, a killing that sparked fears of worsening political violence in the US.

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President Donald Trump lashed out at the “radical left” after the shooting of Kirk, a powerful voice in conservative US politics at just 31 years old. He vowed to crack down on those responsible for what he described as “a dark moment for America.”

“For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world’s worst mass murderers and criminals,” a sombre-looking Trump said in a video message from the Oval Office just hours after Kirk’s death.

“This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today.

“My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity, and to other political violence, including the organisations that fund it and support it.”

Kirk was shot in the neck while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Video from the scene showed him addressing a large crowd when the sound of a single shot rang out.

The father-of-two appeared to collapse in his chair before the camera swiftly moved and sounds of panic erupted in the audience.

The Utah Department of Public Safety said the shooter, dressed in dark clothing, fired from a nearby rooftop in what authorities called a “targeted attack.”

Students at the university described the shooting as “crazy” and “scary”.