The killer of Charlie Kirk is still at large. The Utah Police, with the help of the FBI, have stated that the operation to locate the suspect is progressing thanks to "good videos" from security cameras at Utah Valley University and some witnesses, but they still do not have a name. They believe he "appears to be of college age," which allowed him to blend in with the attendees, and that he is a man.
The FBI office in Utah shared on Thursday afternoon two photographs of a person indicating that he is "of interest," but without directly identifying him as the possible killer. The message only states, "We are asking for the public's help in identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University." The photos show a man wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a black long-sleeved shirt who appears to be on a ladder. Hours earlier, at a press conference, the local police had mentioned having a video of the suspect on a ladder heading to a rooftop from where shots were fired.
Subsequently, the FBI, along with local authorities in Utah, released a video of the alleged escape of the suspect after shooting Charlie Kirk. The footage, captured by a security camera in the university parking lot, shows the individual dressed in black descending from the roof of one of the campus buildings and then leaving on a road to the right of the image.
The video was shown by Utah's Commissioner of Public Safety, Beau Mason, alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Governor Spencer Cox during a 10-minute press conference where authorities did not take questions.
The recordings have allowed investigators to trace the shooter's movements before the murder with considerable precision. Everything indicates that he would have arrived on campus, or at least in the area closest to Kirk, at 11:52 in the morning, a few minutes before the event began. Investigators know that he climbed onto a roof, crossed to the other side of the building, fired a shot, jumped, and fled to a neighboring neighborhood.
The most solid lead is the murder weapon, a high-powered rifle located on Thursday among bushes and undergrowth, which they hope will lead them to the actual shooter who ended the life of the conservative activist, a friend of President Donald Trump and an idol of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement. According to sources from CNN, words, phrases, or references to "cultural themes" were scribbled on the rifle and bullets found. Mentions of "antifascist and transgender ideology," according to Wall Street Journal sources.
Sources from The New York Times indicate that indeed, this mention of those messages is included in a preliminary internal report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), but the document "had not been verified by ATF analysts, did not match other summaries of evidence, and could have been misinterpreted."
Analysis indicates that the shooter fired a single shot from the rooftop of a building about 200 meters away from the tent where Kirk was addressing the thousands of spectators who had come to listen to him or engage in discussions. A highly precise shot that hit the polemicist in the neck and caused his death. Emergency services quickly evacuated him to a nearby hospital, but surgeons in the operating room could not repair the damage.
At a press conference, authorities indicated that they do not believe the person who shot Kirk is hiding in the area where the weapon was found. "We searched the forest and secured it," explained Robert Bohls, the special agent in charge of the FBI field office in Salt Lake City. "Regarding the community, I can tell you that this was a targeted attack. We do not believe anyone else is at risk. We are using all resources to find him, and we will."
The FBI has not disclosed if they have a clear suspect yet, if they have found fingerprints or DNA remnants on the weapon, or a serial number that could lead the investigation. It does appear that there are shoe prints. "We are thoroughly investigating the evidence and leads provided by witnesses," Bohls said. "As of this morning, we have received over 130 calls with information."
While requesting and appreciating citizen collaboration, the Police have urged the public to remain calm and not jump to conclusions. On Wednesday, two individuals were briefly detained and questioned, but were later released without charges, at least related to the attack. However, this did not prevent the internet from quickly filling with vigilantes who decided they were the culprits of the murder and organized a race against time, flooding social media with names, surnames, addresses, and possible affiliations.
"During the investigation process, we located a couple of persons of interest. We interviewed them, and after releasing them and clearing them as suspects, they faced scrutiny and threats," lamented Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason this morning. "These individuals were not suspects. They were persons of interest," Mason added. "They do not deserve that harassment."