Witness breaks down in tears as they describe horrifying moment Charlie Kirk was shot

Warning: This article contains content which some readers may find distressing.

Witnesses who saw the moment Charlie Kirk was shot at an event at Utah Valley University have spoken out about the horrific scene.

Right-wing political activist Kirk, 31, was the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organisation Turning Point USA.

He was speaking at a debate event at the US university on Wednesday (10 September) when an assailant fired at him from a roof, officials have said.

The bullet fatally hit the podcaster around 12:20 (19:20 BST) while he was in the middle of addressing the 3,000-strong crowd on stage, as part of his 'The American Comeback Tour'.

His death has shocked the world and US President Donald Trump has since issued a statement on the matter, warning that the killing is a 'dark moment for America'.

The Republican leader has blamed the 'radical left' for what has been described by Utah Governor Spencer Cox as a 'political assassination'.

Witnesses who were in the university crowd at Utah have described the moment Charlie Kirk was shot (The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

And now, as more details are emerging, those who were in the crowd at the event have come forward to share what they saw.

Speaking to Sky News, eyewitness Skyler Baird, who was standing just 10 feet away, broke down in tears as he recalled the moment the bullet hit Kirk.

He told the publication: "I was closer than any of the students, closer than, maybe one security guard between him and I.

"I heard the pop and I knew immediately it was a gunshot, and as soon as I thought, 'that was a gunshot,' I saw Charlie's neck and the blood."

He hauntingly added: "I just knew instantly that there was no chance he was going to survive."

Meanwhile, another woman who was at the scene, Raydon Dechene, described to CNN how the crowd reacted in the aftermath of the shooting.

"All of a sudden I heard this one pop. I saw Charlie all of a sudden... his head kind of fell back and blood was just gushing out his neck," she said.

Those in attendance described hearing 'two pops' before the crowd began to run (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

"At that point I turned my head because it felt like it came from up behind me, and then I saw everybody dropping so I dropped down."

Dechene recalled how they were then told to run so everyone began sprinting away from the scene to get indoors.

And another witness, Dallin Smith, also told the outlet that he initially thought the gunshot sound was someone setting off firecrackers.

He recalled: "We heard two pops and we ran. A lot of people ran with us.

"When I was standing by the door, kind of overseeing what was happening, some people were standing there still taking videos."

Smith continued: "So I went back out to look over the railing to see - maybe someone just did some firecrackers or something like that.

"But more and more people were screaming, crying, dispersing super quickly from the scene.

"More and more people were headed Charlie's way and yeah just pure craziness. After getting back in the building, tons of people were flooding to get inside, away from the scene."

The shooter targeted one person, said Beau Mason, the commissioner of the state Department of Public Safety, and officials have said a manhunt is ongoing to find the killer.