FBI releases person of interest photos in Charlie Kirk assassination
The person responsible for shooting and killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk remains at large. However, as law enforcement continues its search for the suspect, the FBI has released images of a person of interest in connection with Kirk’s assassination.
In a post on X, the Salt Lake City FBI office said, “We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.”
The photos were shared following a press conference on Thursday morning. During the briefing, Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI, said agents recovered a rifle possibly used in the shooting, which took place during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University.
Officials believe the suspect used a high-powered, bolt-action rifle.
“That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” Bohls said.
Beau Mason, the Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner, added that the suspect arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m. He said they have since tracked their movements through stairwells and up to the rooftop location where the shot was fired.
The FBI said agents have also recovered a “footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.”
Alleged shooter arrested
Earlier in the day, the FBI said they had someone in custody in connection with the murder, but the FBI then released that person after interrogation.
The agency also said it identified numerous persons of interest, but they’ve since been cleared. However, even after having been cleared, they’ve faced threats.
“We asked the public to be patient with the investigative process,” Mason said, adding, “We ask that you do not impose into those people and that investigative process. They don’t deserve that harassment for being subject to that.”
The FBI is co-leading the investigation with its law enforcement partners, including local police.
“As soon as we heard about the shooting, special agents and personnel from the Salt Lake City Field Office responded immediately,” Bohls said. “We have full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical, operational, investigative and intelligence.”
The agency has set up a tip line for the public to help in the investigation. During the Thursday press conference, Bohls said they had already received over 130 tips.
Kirk shooting
Kirk was assassinated while speaking with students during his “American Comeback Tour” organized by the organization Kirk founded, Turning Point USA.
Video of the shooting shows Kirk speaking to a student before a single gunshot can be heard. University officials said Kirk was hit by a single bullet fired from a nearby building about 200 yards away from where he was sitting.
Kirk could be seen slumping back with blood coming out of his neck.
Raydon Chene, a student who witnessed the shooting, described the scene to CBS News.
“There’s just blood pouring out everywhere. His eyes kind of rolled back. The crowd dropped to the ground,” Chene said. “They told us all to run, so we all ran out.”
School police immediately placed an evacuation order for all students and canceled classes until further notice.
Reaction to the shooting
Comments poured in from both sides of the aisle in reaction to the killing. President Donald Trump, along with former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, condemned the shooting.
According to NBC, during an address at the Pentagon commemorating 9/11, Trump announced he will be giving Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.
Also on Thursday, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the State Department will be taking action against foreigners who praise, rationalize or make light of Kirk’s death.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Landau said in a post on X.
He said he’s “directed our consular officials to undertake appropriate action.”
The governor of Utah also reacted.
“Those responsible will be held fully accountable,” Gov. Spencer Cox said on X. “Violence has no place in our public life.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed those sentiments.
“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible. In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form,” Newsom said on X.
Who was Charlie Kirk?
Kirk, who lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife and children, was a big figure in conservative media. He was one of Trump’s close allies, and not just the founder, but the CEO of Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that advocates for conservative politics in high schools and colleges.
He co-founded the nonprofit in 2012, when he was 18. It now has groups in more than 850 colleges.
At the time of his death, Kirk was kicking off a multi-campus Turning Point tour in which he asked attendees to debate him on certain issues.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
