The nation was left stunned as Fox News anchor Bret Baier halted his live broadcast to deliver a direct message from President Donald Trump just moments after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Baier, visibly shaken, told viewers that Trump had personally called him before the show to share a statement that he could read on air.

In the message, Trump condemned the violence, calling Kirk “an unbelievable patriot” who “captured the imagination of the youth” and “wasn’t afraid to debate and confront the other side.” The FBI has confirmed that the suspected shooter, believed to be a college-aged male, remains at large but that investigators have recovered the weapon believed to be used in the attack. Across the nation, leaders are reacting with shock and grief as America grapples with one of the darkest moments in its modern political history.