Utah Valley University (UVU), the campus where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot on Wednesday, is Utah’s largest public university — though it is often overshadowed by other schools in the state.

Founded in 1941 under a different name as a vocational institution for war production training, UVU transitioned to a four-year degree-granting university in the 1990s. That shift spurred rapid enrollment growth, leading to a fivefold increase over three decades. Today, nearly 47,000 students are enrolled, according to the university’s website.

Roughly 90% of UVU students are Utah residents, and about 18% are 25 or older. Business and psychology rank among the most popular programs.

The Orem campus sits just off a major highway, about 40 miles (64 km) south of Salt Lake City — home to the state’s flagship University of Utah — and only a few miles from Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Utah is among 14 U.S. states that allow some form of concealed carry of firearms on public college and university campuses. Authorities said a person of interest in the shooting had been detained and later released after questioning. Officials have not confirmed whether the individual was legally carrying a firearm.

UVU’s athletic teams, the Wolverines, compete in the Western Athletic Conference, with men’s and women’s basketball among their most prominent sports programs.