Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a Utah Valley University event over 24 hours ago. However, no suspect has been identified yet. CBS News cited two US officials and a law enforcement source to report that a person of interest has been identified, but no arrest warrant has been issued yet. On Wednesday, officials had arrested two separate individuals but released both of them.
Kirk, a Trump ally and founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at the UVU campus in Orem. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. It was President Donald Trump who first announced the 31-year-old's death. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times cited law enforcement sources to report that the suspect used an older model Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle.
Read More: Megyn Kelly breaks down in tears while announcing Charlie Kirk's death during live broadcast
FBI's latest update
The FBI, meanwhile, released a pair of photos of the person believed responsible for Charlie Kirk's assassination. Investigators obtained clues, including a palm print, a shoe impression and a high-powered hunting rifle found in a wooded area along the path the shooter fled. No name has been released yet.
The photos of a person in a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeve black shirt, as well as a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, suggested that law enforcement thought tips from the public might be needed to crack the case.
{{/usCountry}}The photos of a person in a hat, sunglasses and a long-sleeve black shirt, as well as a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, suggested that law enforcement thought tips from the public might be needed to crack the case.
{{/usCountry}}“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Graphic videos shared on social media captured the moment of the attack. Kirk, holding a microphone, was addressing the crowd when a gunshot rang out. He clutched at his neck as blood streamed from the left side.
In the aftermath, tributes poured in from Republican leaders. Trump announced that Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, are in Salt Lake City to meet Kirk’s family.
Vance, reflecting on their friendship in a post on X, recalled first connecting with Kirk in 2017 and staying close through his Senate campaign and beyond. He said they prayed together often and that Kirk was instrumental in shaping Trump’s second administration.
“So much of what we’ve accomplished traces back to Charlie’s talent for organizing and bringing people together,” Vance wrote. “He wasn’t just central to winning in 2024—he was critical in helping us staff the government itself.”
(With AP inputs)