"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead," Trump said on social media. "No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!" A single shot was fired on the Orem campus toward Kirk, a visiting speaker, shortly after noon, the school said.

"He was hit and taken from the location by his security," the university said. A suspect is in custody, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Kirk, 31, was taken to a hospital after being shot, according to Turning Point USA, which said "with a heavy heart that we confirm that Charles James Kirk has been murdered by a gunshot" during the campus event. "We ask that everyone keep his family and loved ones in your prayers," the organization said. The father of two young children was a Trump confidant at the forefront of a burgeoning conservative youth movement. Known as the "Trump whisperer," Kirk was deeply involved in vetting top positions for the administration following the election and was in constant communication with top advisers and the president himself.

"It's horrific. It's one of the most horrible things I've ever seen," Trump told ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl. "He was a great guy," Trump said. "He was a good man. He was an incredible guy. Nobody like him." FBI and ATF agents are on the scene, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Patel said earlier the agency "stands in full support of the ongoing response and investigation." (ABCnews)