Trump ally Charlie Kirk shot dead at Utah university

US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has died after being shot at a university in Utah, President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday, hailing his close ally as "legendary."

"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie," Trump posted on Truth Social.

"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!"

Former US presidents have sent their condolences to Kirk's family and voiced their disapproval of the violence surrounding his death.

"Today, a young man was murdered in cold blood while expressing his political views," says George W Bush, the country's 43rd president.

"It happened on a college campus, where the open exchange of opposing ideas should be sacrosanct. Violence and vitriol must be purged from the public square. Members of other political parties are not our enemies; they are our fellow citizens. May God bless Charlie Kirk and his family, and may God guide America toward civility."

In a post on X, Bush's predecessor Bill Clinton said he was "saddened and angered by Charlie Kirk's murder".

"And I hope we all go through some serious introspection and redouble our efforts to engage in debate passionately, yet peacefully. Hillary and I are keeping Erika, their two young children, and their family in our prayers."

Bush's successor, Barack Obama also wrote on X that he and his wife Michelle would be "praying for Charlie's family tonight".

"We don’t yet know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of despicable violence has no place in our democracy," he wrote.