Tragedy struck with a school shooting occurring in close timing to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
On September 10, at approximately 12:20pm, a single gunshot was heard across the Sorensen Centre courtyard at the Utah Valley University campus.
Kirk, aged 31, was attending the university for a debate and was seated among a crowd when a bullet appeared to strike his neck. The distressing event was captured on video, with screams echoing in the moments after Kirk was shot.
Tragically, the father of two lost his life due to the incident.
The FBI has since discovered a rifle suspected to have been used by the shooter, who remains at large as of now.
FBI special agent in charge, Robert Bohls, stated that the firearm is a high-powered bolt-action rifle, believed to be “the weapon that was used in yesterday’s shooting.”
Merely ten minutes after Kirk was reportedly shot, a student at Evergreen High School in Colorado, Denver, began firing at other students.
Shots were discharged both inside and outside the school premises, and responding law enforcement officers located the assailant within five minutes of arrival, according to Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley.
Kelley reported that over 100 officers from the Denver area converged on the school to provide assistance as more than 900 students were under lockdown.
No law enforcement officers discharged their weapons during the incident, authorities confirmed.
The shooter, a male, injured two students before inflicting a fatal wound on himself. He was urgently transported to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries, as confirmed by the police.
In an update about the shooter, police shared on social media: “The male suspect responsible for the shootings at Evergreen High School today has died from his self-inflicted injuries.”
The identities of the two wounded students remain undisclosed, and they were also taken to the hospital.
According to a spokesperson from St. Anthony’s Hospital, where they were treated, one student is in stable condition while the other is critically injured, as reported by CNN.
Authorities are in the process of obtaining a search warrant for the suspect’s residence. Investigators are also seeking to interview students who witnessed the traumatic event, marking the 47th school shooting in the US this year.
Reacting to the occurrence of two high-profile shootings on the same day, an individual commented on Twitter: “We interrupt the shooting at a college to bring you news of a shooting at a high school. This is America.”
“Gun violence is at an all-time high,” another observed, while a third expressed: “America has to be the worst place to live in… First Charlie Kirk, and now this.”
If you or someone you know has been impacted by gun violence, further information and support can be found through Survivors Empowered on their website.