Taylor Bentley, a Utah resident who said he witnessed Charlie Kirk's assassination, spoke to Fox News Digital about the harrowing experience in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Sept. 12, 2025. (Deirdre Heavey/Fox News Digital)
"After just a second of shock, I pulled my friends down," Bentley said. "And we're on the ground for about 15 seconds, just kind of feeling helpless before people start running to the buildings surrounding the courtyard, and we took off and sheltered in there for about 20 minutes."
ENGRAVINGS ON SHOOTER'S AMMO EXPOSES CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION MOTIVE
During those 20 minutes sheltering, Bentley said he was worried, but he didn't feel unsafe.
A memorial for Charlie Kirk is seen at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 11, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey )
The governor said Kirk's "political assassination" is an "attack on the American experiment."
"History will dictate if this is a turning point for our country, but every single one of us gets to choose right now if this is a turning point for us. We get to make decisions. We have our agency. And I desperately call on every American – Republican, Democrat, liberal, progressive, conservative, MAGA, all of us to please, please, please follow what Charlie taught me," Cox said Friday.
Bentley said Cox has "done a phenomenal job in pushing a message of unity, of faith, of hope, and of embracing the message that Charlie pushed out there of open dialogue, and of avoiding violence, and of approaching our disagreements with words instead of violence."
Since the assassination on Wednesday, Utah has organized several vigils. In Orem City Park on Thursday evening, several students and local residents paid their respects during a candlelit vigil.
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A memorial honoring Kirk at the Timpanogos Regional Hospital is flooded with "We love you, Charlie" posters, flowers and American flags. More signs and flowers can be found for Kirk on Utah Valley University's campus.
Flags are flying throughout the state at half-staff this week, and many gathered for a vigil at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday evening.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/eyewitness-describes-moment-charlie-kirk-assassinated-we-knew-immediately