'Dark Moment': US President Donald Trump On Charlie Kirk's Assassination, Vows To Bring Perpetrators Of Violence To Justice; VIDEO

Washington DC: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday (local time) expressed grief over the assassination of his key aide Charlie Kirk. He termed the killing a "dark moment for America". Kirk was shot dead on a Utah college campus.

In a video message, the US President said that Kirk fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. Trump called him a "martyr for truth and freedom."

"He fought for liberty, democracy, justice, and the American people. He's a martyr for truth and freedom, and there's never been anyone who was so respected by youth. Charlie was also a man of deep, deep faith, and we take comfort in the knowledge that he is now at peace with God in heaven," the US President said.

"Charlie Kirk traveled the nation joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process, which he did better than anybody ever, to share his love of country, and to spread the simple words of common sense. On campuses nationwide, he championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace," he added.

Trump said that a rhetoric of "radical left" contributed to the killing of the conservative leader. "For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now," he said.

The US President vowed to bring perpetrators of violence to justice. "My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country," he said in his video message," Trump stated.

The right-wing activist was shot dead while addressing a student gathering at Utah Valley University. The 31-year-old is the co-founder and CEO of Turning Point USA and a close ally of Trump. The moment when Kirk was shot was recorded on camera. He died instantly after a gunshot struck his neck during a live event.

A video of Kirk's assassination also surfaced online. In the widely circulated clip, it could be seen that Kirk was sitting beneath a white tent with slogans such as “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong" when he was hit by a bullet. The incident created panic among the people present at the spot.