Authorities have recovered the rifle used to assassinate conservative activist Charlie Kirk during an event at Utah Valley University, along with other key evidence, as the manhunt for the shooter widened Thursday.
FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls said investigators found the "high-powered, bolt-action rifle" in a wooded area near where the gunman fled after firing a single shot from a rooftop, striking Kirk in the neck. "We're not sure how far he has gone yet," Bohls told reporters. Investigators also collected a footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for forensic analysis.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said police have "good video footage of this individual" but are withholding it for now. The suspect "blended in well with the college" and "appears to be of college age," Mason said. He arrived on campus shortly before noon, scaled a building overlooking the courtyard where Kirk was speaking, and after firing, fled on foot into an adjacent neighborhood, Mason added.
The rifle reportedly contained three unfired rounds engraved with phrases referencing transgender and antifascist ideology, according to a person familiar with an internal law enforcement bulletin cited by The Wall Street Journal. Officials have not publicly confirmed a motive.
More than 3,000 people were in attendance at Wednesday's event, which was part of Kirk's "American Comeback Tour." Six campus police officers and Kirk's private security team were present, but no bag checks or metal detectors were used, said UVU Police Chief Jeff Long.
Kirk, 31, co-founded Turning Point USA at age 18, building it into one of the most influential conservative youth organizations in the U.S. and becoming a fixture of the "Make America Great Again" movement. He hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, which reached half a million monthly listeners, and frequently appeared on Fox News.
President Donald Trump, who called Kirk "a truly Great American Patriot," announced Kirk's death and said Thursday he would posthumously award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "Charlie inspired millions," Trump said in a video address, blaming "the radical left" for creating a climate that led to Kirk's killing. It was "long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day."
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the shooting "a political assassination" and vowed to hold the killer accountable. Two individuals detained Wednesday were later cleared of involvement, and investigators said there are currently no suspects in custody.
