Right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Wednesday while giving a lecture at a public forum sponsored by his political nonprofit organization at Utah Valley University.

Moments before he was shot, Kirk was taking questions from the audience on the subject of mass shootings and gun violence.

A questioner asked him a sharp question, "Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?"

Kirk answered, "Too many."

The questioner continued, asking, "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?"

Kirk replied,"Counting or not counting gang violence?"

The exchange was at the Sorensen Center courtyard, where Kirk sat under a white tent that had slogans like "The American Comeback" and "Prove Me Wrong."

It was one event of a campus tour by Turning Point USA, the group he founded.

Witness videos shared on social media recorded the horrific moment when a solitary gunshot echoed.

Kirk had been shot in the neck and grabbed the injury as blood gushed out. There was shrieking from the crowd as people ran for cover.

Authorities have confirmed one person was arrested but later released. A police official briefed on the investigation said that the person detained is not the suspect, and it is not known whether the shooter is still loose.

The official was not allowed to speak publicly and asked not to be identified.

Kirk, 31, was a noted voice among conservative political circles and a regular TV talk show guest.

His remarks regarding gun rights and the Second Amendment were widely distributed in the hours after he was killed.

One of the quotes being replayed states, "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational."

Even his own outspoken opinions cannot stand against the horror and outrage of the attack, as political leaders of both liberal and conservative persuasions denounced the violence.

Kirk's murder is an active case, and authorities have requested the public refrain from speculation as evidence is examined.