Charlie Kirk was born in Arlington Heights, Illinois, and grew up in the nearby suburb of Prospect Heights. He briefly attended Harper College, a community college near Chicago, but left without completing a degree to pursue political activism. Kirk became a prominent conservative political activist and was the co-founder and executive director of Turning Point USA. Tragically, he was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, during a public event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Prior to his death, he lived in Arizona with his wife and two children, where the headquarters of Turning Point USA is located.