Utah officials said on Thursday that Charlie Kirk’s killer remains at large as the FBI released photos of the suspected shooter.
According to a CBS News report from late Thursday, investigators have identified a “person of interest,” as shared by three sources, though no warrant has been issued for this individual. It remains uncertain if this person is the same individual seen in the photos released by the FBI.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason explained their efforts to trace the suspect’s actions after he reached Utah Valley College. The suspect allegedly shot Kirk, 31, from the roof of the Losee Center, leapt off the building, and then escaped the campus. FBI Special Agent Bobby Bohls noted that a high-powered bolt-action rifle was found in the nearby woods, not far from where the incident occurred, as reported by Deseret News.
A law enforcement source informed the Associated Press that the firearm discovered was a Mauser .30 caliber bolt-action rifle, wrapped in a towel. This rifle, which had one spent cartridge and three rounds remaining in its magazine, is currently undergoing examination at a federal lab.
“The individual appears to be of college age,” Mason said.
Mason also disclosed that they are analyzing a palm print and footprint left at the scene.
Disturbing video captured the moment Kirk was shot in the neck at Utah Valley College on Wednesday. He was attending the university for the initial event of his “The American Comeback” tour, where he engages in political discussions with the audience.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason stated that a man who was first detained on the scene faced an obstruction charge. However, he is neither the suspected shooter nor the person of interest, as per recent reports.
Amid various conflicting reports, the Associated Press clarified that two individuals were taken in after Kirk’s tragic death but were eventually released after it was confirmed they had no links to the incident.
Emerging reports indicated that the single bullet was fired from the university’s Losee Center, located 200 yards away from the tent Kirk was situated under when he was mortally wounded in the neck.
Officials also said there is no indication that multiple culprits carried out the fatal shooting. The shooting occurred about 20 minutes into the event.
Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz told CNN that Kirk was answering a question about “transgender shootings” and “mass killings” when he was shot.
“When that happened, when that question came out, and he’s you know, he’s going to have the interaction, one shot. I was watching Charlie. I can’t say that I saw blood. I can’t say that I saw him get hit, but I did see him fall immediately backwards into his left,” he said.
Officials urged the public to contact authorities if they had any information about the shooter. Cox called Kirk’s death a “political assassination.”
This story is developing…
[Feature Photo: FBI]
