Charlie Kirk, the far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ commentator who founded Turning Point USA and became a defining figure of the American rights youth movement, died Wednesday after being shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, according to authorities. He was 31.The shooting happened during Kirks American Comeback Tour. A graphic video from the event showed him speaking before a shot can be heard, and he suddenly flinched as he was struck. He appeared to be shot in the neck. Police confirmed a single shot was fired, and the campus was locked down. A suspect was taken into custody.Kirk rose to national prominence in his early 20s, cultivating close ties to President Donald Trump and building Turning Point into a powerhouse of conservative media, activism, and student organizing. Kirks rise was matched by years of incendiary commentary targeting LGBTQ+ people.He frequently spread disinformation about transgender people and gender-affirming care, painting LGBTQ+ equality as a threat to American culture. In 2022, he even claimed that transgender people were to blame for inflation, a remark widely ridiculed by economists and LGBTQ+ advocates. The following year, Kirk courted outrage when he said that if the January 6 rioters had stripped naked and filmed themselves having gay sex, they would have been treated more leniently, which critics blasted as both homophobic and trivializing of the insurrection.Kirk also used his platform to target transgender athletes, railing against their inclusion in womens sports, and his views shaped broader conservative messaging. Earlier this year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom drew criticism after echoing Kirks arguments on his podcast.Kirk was married and had two small children.