The shooter who assassinated Charlie Kirk escaped through a wooded area where a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” was later recovered, the FBI said Thursday morning
FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said the bureau still does not know who fired the rifle and murdered Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University the day before but that it is “exhausting every lead we have.”
“That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” Bohls told reporters. “The FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected footwear impressions, a palm print, and forearm imprints for analysis.”
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Videos have emerged online of a potential gunman on the roof of a building about 200 yards away from where Kirk, 31, was speaking to a crowd in a courtyard. The FBI has confirmed that Kirk’s killer opened fire from a distant, elevated position.
Bohls said the FBI has received 130 tips about the slaying, which was captured on video and reverberated across the country. Kirk was a married father of two who was a close ally of President Donald Trump and top officials in the administration.
“We are investing everything we have into this, and we will catch this individual,” Bohls said.
That declaration comes a day after the FBI and local officers each claimed to have arrested Kirk’s killer, only for both suspects to be released. The blunder has led to intense criticism of FBI Director Kash Patel.
Bohls told reporters that the FBI has “images of the suspect” but that he cannot “comment specifically on his face or any details such as that.” The official added that investigators are “not sure how far” the suspect has gone since fleeing the scene.
Kirk was speaking about trans issues and mass shootings when he was shot in the neck. His stop at the university in Orem, Utah, was one of many he had scheduled as part of what he dubbed the “American Comeback Tour.” The tour was put on by Turning Point USA, the conservative group he founded.
There has been an outpouring of prayers for Kirk, as well as for his wife and two young children. Trump announced his death on Truth Social about two and a half hours after the shot rang out.
Trump said Thursday he believed Kirk, an Illinois native, had what it takes to become president someday.
Kirk became one of the most well-known figures on the right by going to college campuses across the country and debating progressives, in addition to hosting his own talk shows and podcasts. He has been credited with influencing tens of thousands of young people to become conservative and support Trump—something the president acknowledged himself on Wednesday.
Trump said on Thursday that the activist will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said.
