FBI releases photos of person of interest in Charlie Kirk’s killing on a Utah university campus
OREM Utah AP The shooter who assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk and then vanished off a roof and into the woods remained at large more than hours later Thursday as federal investigators appealed for the citizens s help by releasing photos of the person they believe is responsible Investigators obtained clues including a palm print a shoe impression and a high-powered hunting rifle identified in a wooded area along the path the shooter fled But they had yet to name a suspect or cite a motive in the killing they were treating as the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States across the ideological spectrum The photos of a person in a hat sunglasses and a long-sleeve black shirt with a backpack as well as a reward for information leading to an arrest suggested that law enforcement thought tips from the community might be needed to crack the circumstance Two people who were taken into custody shortly after Wednesday s shooting at Utah Valley University were later circulated forcing functionaries to chase new leads on a separate person of interest they pursued Thursday Agents planned another news conference later Thursday with FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov Spencer Cox in the lineup of speakers One clue in the scrutiny was a Mauser -caliber bolt-action rifle unveiled in a towel in the woods A spent cartridge was recovered from the chamber and three other rounds were loaded in the magazine according to information circulated among law enforcement and described to The Associated Press The weapon and ammunition were being analyzed by law enforcement at a federal lab The attack carried out in a broad daylight as Kirk spoke about social issues from a university courtyard was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media The videos show Kirk a close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away The shooter who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance fired a single shot from the rooftop where they were perched before jumping off I can tell you this was a targeted event disclosed Robert Bohls the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City Trump who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence commented he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom the highest civilian honor in the U S while Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha arrived Thursday afternoon in Salt Lake City to visit with Kirk s family Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship dating back to initial messages in through Vance s Senate run and the ballot So much of the success we ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie s ability to organize and convene Vance wrote He didn t just help us win in he helped us staff the entire regime Kirk s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix where his nonprofit political youth organization Turning Point USA is based Trump informed reporters he plans to attend Kirk s funeral Details have not been broadcasted Kirk was taking questions about gun violence Kirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force among young Republicans and was a fixture on college campuses where he invited sometimes-vehement debate on social issues He was shot while attending one such event Wednesday a debate hosted by Turning Point at the Sorensen Center on campus in what was billed as the first stop on Kirk s American Comeback Tour The event generated a polarizing campus reaction An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly signatures The university issued a announcement last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its commitment to free speech intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue Last week Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking dispute He wrote What s going on in Utah One such provocative exchange played out promptly before the shooting as he was taking questions from an audience member about gun violence when the shot was heard Certain attendees who bolted after the gunshot rushed into two classrooms full of students They used tables to barricade the door and to shield themselves in the corners Someone grabbed an electric pencil sharpener and wrapped the cord tightly around the door handle then tied the sharpener to a chair leg Madison Lattin was watching a insufficient dozen feet from Kirk s left when she heard the bullet hit him Blood is falling and dripping down and you re just like so scared not just for him but your own safety she mentioned On campus Thursday the canopy stamped with the slogan Kirk commonly used at his events PROVE ME WRONG stood disheveled Kathleen Murphy a longtime resident who lives near the campus revealed she has been staying inside with her door locked With the shooter not being caught yet it was a worry Murphy noted Meanwhile the shooting continued to draw swift bipartisan condemnation as Democratic administrators joined Trump and other Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the attack which unfolded during a spike of political violence that has touched a range of ideologies and representatives of both major political parties The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart My deepest sympathies are with his wife two young children and friends revealed Gabrielle Giffords the former Democratic congresswoman who was wounded in a shooting in her Arizona district Tucker and Richer broadcasted from Washington Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver Michael Biesecker Brian Slodysko Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L Price in Washington Ty O Neil in Orem Utah Hallie Golden in Seattle and Meg Kinnard in Chapin South Carolina contributed to this statement Source
