Charlie Kirk killing: How relaxed are Utah’s gun laws?

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in a state that has permissive gun laws and allows firearms to be concealed or openly carried without a permit in most instances, experts said.

Investigators said a high-powered, bolt-action rifle that might have been used in the attack was found hidden in a towel in a wooded area near Utah Valley University.

Clark Aposhian, a firearms instructor and chair of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, said there is nothing in Utah’s permissive gun policies that would somehow make it easier for an assassin to kill Kirk, who was speaking outdoors to students.

“No law allows a person to bring a rifle on a campus, climb on a roof and shoot somebody. It was wrong from the get-go,” Aposhian said Thursday.

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Attorney Mitch Vilos, who specializes in Utah gun law, agreed.

“This was obviously well planned,” he said.

Few barriers to gun possession

Utah is considered a conservative state, culturally and politically. It allows adults to carry guns openly or conceal them without a permit, though there are restrictions for people ages 18 to 20. The state does offer concealed-carry permits, which some people prefer because they are honoured in other states that require them, Vilos said.

“The reason we can open carry in Utah is because there’s no law that prohibits it,” Aposhian said.

There are some exceptions at public colleges. Aposhian said a permit is required to carry a firearm, either in the open or concealed.

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At the University of Utah, “police will confirm that those carrying openly on campus have a concealed weapon permit,” the school in Salt Lake City says on its website.

Utah Valley in Orem, where Kirk was killed, says it follows state law and allows gun owners to carry a concealed firearm if they have a permit.

Kirk defended gun rights

Kirk was answering a question about gun violence when a single shot was heard on Wednesday.

“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” someone said.

“Counting or not counting gang violence?” replied Kirk, who was a firm supporter of gun rights.

Vilos, who was written a book about Utah gun policy, said the state believes in “protective gun laws.”

“The idea is to protect the innocent," he said, “as long as you’re not doing things that would cause someone to believe that they’re being threatened by the presence of your firearm.”