Political conservative activist and an influential ally of US President Donald Trump was shot dead at an university event in Utah in an apparent targeted assassination. Trump announced the death of Kirk, the 31-year-old cofounder of activist youth group Turning Point USA, in a social media post on Wednesday.

Donald Trump blamed ‘the radical left’ for the shooting and promised a crackdown, reciting a list of incidents of what he termed 'radical left political violence', including the attempt to kill him last year.

Kirk was answering a question on mass shootings when the gunfire erupted at the event, sparking panic and chaos. He could be seen immediately holding his neck as blood gushed, eyewitnesses described the horror. The suspect has not been arrested.

ALSO READ: Who killed Charlie Kirk? Was Trump confidant shot by ‘supporter’ firing gun ‘in celebration’? What we know

Melissa Hortman's assassination connection

Soon after the shooting, social media users recalled the assassination of former Minnesota Rep Melissa Hortman. A masked gunman disguised as a police officer shot Melissa Hortman in Gov. Tim Walz called an "act of targeted political violence." She and her husband, Mark, were shot and killed at their home in what appears to be a "politically-motivated assassination," Walz had said.

Several bizarre reactions emerged and Melissa Hortman emerged as one of the top trending searches on Google. Her assassination is also trending on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

According to Hindustan Times, social media users alleged that conservatives commenting on Kirk's death did not react to Hortman's death. But these claims cannot be verified. “If you're praying for Charlie Kirk, I'm praying with you! If you're using this to create a narrative of political violence from the LEFT, Im going to remind you that a MAGA man and Trump supporter just assassinated Democratic official Melissa Hortman and her husband less than 3 months ago,” one person wrote on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

ALSO READ: 'Blood was gushing everywhere': Charlie Kirk was confronted on mass shootings when gunfire erupted at Utah University

“There’s going to be a lot of right-wingers on this site today who simply deny that Melissa Hortman was killed by a right-winger or pretend that event never happened. Acting as if political violence is some uniquely left- or right-caused issue will only escalate the problem,” another one tweeted.

Three months after the loss of their longtime leader Melissa Hortman, who died in a politically motivated attack, Minnesota House Democrats selected state Rep. Zack Stephenson to steer the caucus moving forward.

Charlie Kirk shot dead

While politicians of both parties paid tributes to mourn Charlie Kirk after he was shot and killed Wednesday at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, President Donald Trump blamed the "radical left" for the conservative activist's death.

"For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals," he said in a video message Wednesday night. "This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."

ALSO READ: When Trump ally Charlie Kirk spread misinformation about Covid vaccine, even urged release of Epstein files

Trump called for "all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree" — but he then called out "radical-left political violence," without paying tribute to any Democratic politicians who have been targeted.

"From the attack on my life in Butler, Pennsylvania, last year — which killed a husband and father — to the attacks on ICE agents, to the vicious murder of a health care executive in the streets of New York, to the shooting of House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and three others, radical-left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives," Trump said.

Political violence is not confined to a single political faction. During his most recent campaign, Trump was targeted in two assassination attempts, one of which involved a shooting.

On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home was set on fire, Minnesota State House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally attacked in what authorities labeled a "politically motivated assassination," and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband was assaulted with a hammer.