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Shooter Who Killed Charlie Kirk Still at Large on Third Day
The sniper responsible for the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk remained at large on Friday, even as investigators flooded the internet with images and videos of the person believed to have carried out the politically charged murder at the University of Utah on Wednesday.
President Donald Trump stated that investigators were making progress in tracking down the gunman who fired a rifle shot into the neck of 31-year-old author and podcast host Kirk, a prominent figure in rallying conservative youth and helping galvanize support for Trump’s return to the White House.
Authorities continue to describe the individual captured on video not as a confirmed suspect but as a person of interest, though he remained at the crime scene at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Kirk had been on campus for a student outreach event where he addressed some of the most polarizing issues of the day, including gun violence and race, encouraging dialogue and challenging opponents to debate in his signature confrontational style. The event drew nearly 3,000 attendees.
The shooting underscores one of the longest periods of politically motivated violence in the U.S. since the 1970s. According to Reuters, there have been over 300 documented incidents of politically inspired violence based on ideological differences since Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Trump himself survived two assassination attempts last year—one during a campaign event in which he was wounded near the ear, and another thwarted by federal agents two months later.
In a late-night press briefing on Thursday, video footage showed a man walking along the rooftop of the building from where the shot was fired. He was then seen descending to the ground, falling, and fleeing the campus. Across the street, he entered a small wooded area where authorities later recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the attack.
Unlike the semi-automatic rifles often used in mass shootings, bolt-action rifles are popular among U.S. hunters, precision shooters, and military snipers worldwide. These rifles require the shooter to manually rotate the bolt and load each cartridge individually but are considered more accurate for long-range shots where precision and a single well-placed shot are critical.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the individual left behind some fingerprints and smudges at the scene where investigators are seeking to collect DNA evidence.
Mason added, “A shoeprint led us to believe the suspect was clearly wearing Converse tennis shoes.”
Governor Spencer Cox, appearing alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials, urged the public’s help in identifying the thin man whose appearance was partially obscured by a dark baseball cap and sunglasses.
“We can’t do this without the public’s help,” Cox said. “So far, we’ve received over 7,000 tips and leads. I just want to say this—since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, the FBI hasn’t seen this much digital media input from the public.”
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of Kirk’s killer.
Lawmakers, commentators, and online sleuths have already begun speculating on social media and message boards about the shooter’s identity and ideology.
Kirk, a husband and father of two, was widely admired within Trump’s MAGA movement. Vice President J.D. Vance credited him with helping secure Trump’s 2024 presidential win and aiding in selecting appointees for the administration.
Vance canceled his trip to New York and instead traveled to Utah to meet with Kirk’s family and accompany them and Kirk’s casket back to Arizona on Air Force Two.
Trump announced he would posthumously honor Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “Charlie Kirk was a great man, a truly outstanding individual—in every way great, especially when it came to inspiring young people.”
He added, “Investigators are making good progress in finding Charlie Kirk’s killer. We hope to catch him and make sure justice is served.”
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