Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the death of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on Newsmax Thursday, calling him a “great friend of Israel.”

Kirk, 31, died after being shot during an event at Utah Valley University. In an interview with “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” Netanyahu said Kirk’s assassination was a tragic loss.

“The circumstances are tragic, and, as you can imagine, Greta, I want to say a farewell to a great human being, great friend of Israel, a great champion of Judeo-Christian civilization, and a champion of free speech, free debate, freedom,” Netanyahu said. “Charlie Kirk, his loss is terrible, and we grieve for him, for his wife, Erika, for his two beautiful children, and for the many, many, many people who will not hear his voice. His legacy, yes, but his unique voice, that’s gone.”

Netanyahu said Kirk wrote him a deeply personal letter earlier this year.

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“You know, he wrote me this letter in, I think, May 2, and he says one of my greatest joys as a Christian is advocating for Israel and forming alliances to defend Judeo-Christian civilization,” Netanyahu said when asked about his relationship with Kirk. “That’s in a nutshell, Charlie. And then I called him a few weeks ago, and I said, ‘So, Charlie, why don’t you come and visit us?’ And he said, ‘Well, I’m going to,’ and we were going to fix a date, and that’s not going to take place.”

Law enforcement officials have not yet apprehended Kirk’s shooter, despite briefly detaining two individuals who were later released. On Thursday, the FBI’s Salt Lake City office released surveillance images of a person they identified as a potential lead in the investigation. (RELATED: ‘Dark Moment For America’: Trump Addresses Nation After Kirk Assassination)

Investigators recovered rifle ammunition in a wooded area near the site of the shooting at Utah Valley University, according to The Wall Street Journal. The ammunition reportedly included messages supporting transgender activism and opposing fascism, the outlet said, citing sources familiar with the case.

Kirk had been addressing a crowd of students under a tent moments before the fatal shot. Online footage shows him engaged in a debate about mass shootings and gender ideology when the attack occurred.

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