Charlie Kirk Incident: Latest Details on the Suspect

Share this @internewscast.com

Over 24 hours after right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at a university event in the United States, authorities have yet to apprehend a suspect.

Utah law enforcement agencies report that they are pursuing “multiple leads” and have released additional images of a “person of interest.”

The US investigators have located the bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in Kirk’s shooting.

Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcast host, and a close associate of US President Donald Trump, was instrumental in rallying young voters for the Republican Party.

A press conference revealed that security footage captures an individual ascending stairwells to a rooftop, where they then fired the shot at Kirk.

While Kirk, a vocal advocate for gun rights, was responding to a query about mass shootings, a bullet struck his neck, causing the audience to scatter in terror.

Source: SBS News

The shooter jumped off the roof and fled into an adjoining neighbourhood, Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge, told reporters.

Video footage released on Friday by the FBI showed a person it said was the shooter jumping down from a rooftop and fleeing the scene.

Images of the ‘potential shooter’ released

Security footage images shared by the FBI show the person wearing a black top, black sunglasses, and a dark baseball cap. The top appears to have an image of a bald eagle flying across a US flag.

The shooter appears to be of college age and “blended in well” on the campus, Utah public safety commissioner Beau Mason told reporters.

Utah state officials called the person in the photos “the potential shooter”.

The shooter has not been publicly identified, but two US officials and a law enforcement source say they have identified the name of the person of interest, according to CBS News.

No arrest warrant has been issued yet.

The FBI offered a US$100,000 ($150,000) reward for information leading to the killer’s arrest.

There have been more than 200 tips from the public, with Utah’s Department of Public Safety saying “they keep coming in”.

Weapon being analysed

Investigators found a “high-powered, bolt-action” rifle in a nearby wooded area and were examining that along with palm prints and footprints for clues.

On Thursday local time, with classes cancelled, the roof of the building on the otherwise deserted campus and the nearby woods were strung with yellow tape as investigators scoured them for evidence.

Reports from the Wall Street Journal indicate that the recovered ammunition bore engravings related to transgender and anti-fascist sentiments.

Utah’s Department of Public Safety said it was “not able to provide further details on the content of those inscriptions”.

While Kirk was killed by a single shot fired from a distance of 160m, Mason said it didn’t mean the suspect necessarily had a military background.

“Utah is home to many hunters and passionate outdoorsmen. Such a shot is quite typical. It isn’t simple, but it doesn’t necessarily require specialized skills,” Mason stated.

He added that it was easy for the shooter to access the roof of the Utah Valley University building and open fire, as the building had open pathways and lacked locked doors.

After the shooting, security footage showed the suspected shooter jumping from the roof onto a grassy area, then fleeing to nearby woods where the weapon was found.

— With additional reporting by the Reuters news agency.