Charlie Kirk fatally shot on campus; South Park parody pulled

Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative activist and cofounder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Wednesday afternoon while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University, and within hours Comedy Central pulled a recent South Park episode that parodied him from its scheduled reruns, prompting a fierce debate about satire and political rhetoric. The shooting occurred just after noon during a Prove Me Wrong debate attended by more than 3,000 people, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities said a shooter on a nearby rooftop fired the shot that struck Kirk in the neck; video circulated online showed him clutching his neck and collapsing. He was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead. Officials have questioned two individuals and released them, and no arrests have been announced. A manhunt for the suspect was reported to be underway.

Comedy Central removed the Season 27 episode Got a Nut, which originally aired on August 6 and features the character Eric Cartman parodying Kirk, from its Wednesday night rerun lineup, according to network scheduling reports. The episode lampoons rightwing campus debating and includes a spoof award referencing Kirk. Some...