Witness Describes Gunshot Moments Before Charlie Kirk Was Shot at UVU Event

Witness Account of the Shooting

• 🎯 Tom Johnson, present at the Charlie Kirk event at Utah Valley University, recounts hearing a loud crack, identifying it as a gunshot due to his military and hunting background.
• ⚡ Immediately after the shot, he saw Charlie Kirk fall backward, and the crowd erupted into chaos, described as a "madhouse" with people scattering for safety.
• 🏃‍♂️ Johnson and his wife sought refuge in a lockable room within a building as law enforcement secured the campus.

Immediate Aftermath and Campus Response

• 🚨 The campus was swarmed with a massive law enforcement presence, including personnel from multiple cities and a Utah County Search and Rescue plane.
• 🚓 Efforts were underway to evacuate the large number of students and attendees from the university grounds.

Event Details and Crowd Dynamics

• 🎤 The event involved Charlie Kirk engaging in a Q&A session, with initial discussions reportedly focusing on the LDS church and later shifting to LGBTQ+ topics.
• 🗣️ Johnson was positioned on an elevated step-up, directly in front of Kirk, when the shot occurred.
• 💥 He believes the shot came from his right and further back, sounding like a rifle rather than a close-range pistol.
• ⚠️ A protest group with reportedly vile language and actions was present in an area above and to the sides of the tent where Kirk was speaking.

Timeline and Sensory Details

• ⏱️ The incident occurred shortly after noon, with Kirk arriving around 12:02 PM and the first questioner speaking for about six to eight minutes.
• 👂 Johnson distinctly heard only one shot, initially fearing a prolonged shooting incident.
• 😥 He and his wife were visibly shaken and upset by the traumatic experience.