The assassination of the influential conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University Wednesday afternoon has ignited alarm nationwide, joining a string of recent high-profile acts of horrific public violence that signal a dangerous spike in America's political and ideological tensions.

Kirk, 31, the charismatic founder of the right-leaning youth organization Turning Point USA and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump , was delivering a speech under a campus tent in Orem, Utah, when a single gunshot struck him in the neck. He collapsed, was rushed to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.

As of Wednesday night, a manhunt remained in effect for the shooter after two prior persons of interest were briefly detained for questioning. FBI Directo

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