Witnesses describe panic after shooting

The participants in the campus event, where the conservative US activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday, the mass panic described after a shot was heard.

The 31 -year -old Kirk was killed after being hit in the neck of a bullet, which law enforcement agencies believed he came from a shooter on the roof of a nearby building.

The influencer and close ally of Donald Trump spoke with about 3,000 people on his US tour to return to the University of Utah.

Videos on the social media show Kirk talks about moments of violence with a gun before being shot.

One obviousness told the partner of the US partner of the BBC: “Me and my friends had fun, just listening to what was happening and we just saw him, we heard a strong cry, a strong blow, and then I saw his body actually in a slow movement of movement.”

Porter Laferber, a student at the University of Utah Valley, who is described as a “big fan” of Kirk and was at the rally, told the BBC Radio 4 Today program that he was about 50 feet (15 m) from Kirk.

“I sat there and shot it, cut off my video, and just then I heard this frame,” he said.

“You really don’t realize what happened until it happened. Charlie falls out of their chair, everyone starts to panic.”

Laffer said he had hid behind the “cement terrace” and after about a minute “not to hear another rifle, I got up and just booked it to the closest building I saw.”

In a video shared by the News Agency Reuters, an eyewitness named Daniel said it was closer to Kirk – about 15 feet (5 m).

“It was awful,” she said. “Everything I hear, yelling and see people run and I’m like,” It’s not safe to run. It is not safe to stand up “… and all I say is,” Please, God, please God, God, “because I don’t want to die.”

Jason Chafets, a former US Congressman, told Fox News that he was at the event with his daughter when it happened.

“His shot came straight,” he said, adding that “all hit the deck” and “scattered”.

Adam Bartholomew, who was at the event, interviewing counter -protesters who spoke against Kirk’s presence on the campus, also said people initially descended to the floor.

“There was confusion and people started looking for the exits,” he told the BBC.

“Several people are in tears,” he told the atmosphere after the shooting.

Videos made by witnesses show a hurry to escape from the stage after the shooting occurs.

A figure on the roof in a separate video cover seemed to be about 130 m (142 yards) from where Kirk was sitting.

Phil Limann, a former Utah representative, said he was “involved politically” with Kirk and gave baseball hats on stage with him before the event began.

“I went to find some other people, so I wasn’t there when he was shot. I don’t know if I’m happy with it or that I would like to be there,” he told the “Today” program.

He added that: “3000 children generally watched someone shoot right in front of them, it’s really traumatic. Really, really rude.”

Emma Pitts, a reporter at Utah -based Nevit News, who attended the event, also described that he sees the moment Kirk was shot.

“I will never take the image out of my head,” Pitts said.

Pitts added that she was surprised that “no one scanned our equipment, no one scanned our bags, there was no such security.”

Bartholomew also said he was “surprised” that there was no security at the event. “No one stopped me and didn’t look for my bag.”

The BBC has asked the University of Utah Valley to comment in response to the event security measures.

The university had provided six security staff for the talk, in addition to the private details of Kirk’s security.

After the attack, the students were blocking and failed to return to their apartments until the early hours of the morning, as the shooter remained free.

“It is currently disturbing on the campus, as I just try to go home. It’s just disturbing,” said student Brock Anderson.