On Thursday morning, authorities announced a breakthrough in the manhunt for the suspect who assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
A single bullet struck Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, around 12:20 p.m. MDT while he was speaking at the start of his American Comeback Tour.
FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said Thursday that law enforcement has recovered “what we believe is the weapon that was used in yesterday’s shooting. It is a high-powered bolt action rifle.” Agents found the rifle in a wooded area where the suspect had fled, and the FBI laboratory will now analyze it. Bohls also confirmed that investigators collected “footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis” and that authorities have received “more than 130 tips” from the community, all of which are fully under investigation.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason offered a detailed account of how authorities tracked the suspect. He explained that “Starting at 11:52 a.m., the subject arrived on campus, shortly away from campus,” and that law enforcement followed him “onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location.”
After the attack, Mason said, “We were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building, and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood.” He emphasized the thoroughness of the investigation, noting that investigators have been working through neighborhoods, “contacting anybody they can with doorbell cameras, witnesses, and have thoroughly worked through that, those communities, trying to identify any leads.” Mason also confirmed that authorities have “good video footage of this individual,” but declined to release it at the time.
The FBI has since released still images of the person of interest.
We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
1-800-CALL-FBI
Digital media tips: https://t.co/K7maX81TjJ pic.twitter.com/ALuVkTXuDc— FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) September 11, 2025
There is also a tip line for those who may have any information or video that may help catch the suspect.
An internal ATF memo describes the weapon the shooter used as an older-model Mauser .30-06 bolt-action rifle, found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus. Investigators discovered a spent cartridge still chambered, along with three unspent rounds in the magazine, each engraved with messages expressing “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.”
The ATF and FBI are leading the investigation, with assistance from local law enforcement. The rifle has been sent for DNA and fingerprint analysis, and the FBI is working to trace its origins. While authorities have questioned multiple individuals, the primary suspect remains unidentified. The Wall Street Journal later confirmed the findings, noting that the ammunition’s engravings align with left-wing extremist rhetoric.
PJ Media will continue to provide updates on this developing story.
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