The manhunt for the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk entered its third day Friday, with the FBI releasing new surveillance video of the suspect and pleading for public assistance. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, standing alongside FBI Director Kash Patel and other law enforcement officials, called the shooting a "political assassination" and vowed to pursue the death penalty if the gunman is caught and convicted.
The newly released video shows an individual dressed in a long-sleeve black shirt, hat, and sunglasses running across a rooftop at Utah Valley University, climbing down the side of a building, and fleeing on foot. Officials said the suspect appears to be of college age and was tracked entering campus stairwells before firing a single shot from the roof that struck Kirk in the neck at approximately 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.
"We cannot do our job without the public's help," Cox said at a Thursday evening news conference, adding that the FBI has received more than 7,000 tips and conducted over 200 interviews. The bureau is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the suspect's capture.
Investigators have recovered significant physical evidence, including a high-powered Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area along the shooter's escape route, a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints. Special Agent Robert Bohls of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office said the rifle and unspent cartridges, which carried markings with "transgender and anti-fascist" writing, have been sent to the FBI's Quantico laboratory for DNA and fingerprint analysis. Authorities cautioned that the markings could be a deliberate attempt to mislead investigators.
Officials have not named a suspect or released a motive. The Utah Department of Public Safety said two individuals detained shortly after the shooting were released after questioning and are not tied to the crime. Another man was arrested Thursday morning for felony obstruction and trespassing after entering a secured crime scene and fleeing from officers.
Kirk, 31, a key ally of President Donald Trump and founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at the first stop of his "American Comeback Tour" before a crowd of more than 3,000 when he was killed. Trump ordered flags nationwide to half-staff and announced he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity," Trump said in a video message, later urging supporters to respond with "nonviolence."
Vice President JD Vance personally accompanied Kirk's casket aboard Air Force Two to Phoenix, where Turning Point USA is based. "So much of the success we've had in this administration traces directly to Charlie's ability to organize and convene," Vance said on social media.
Kirk's killing has intensified debate over political violence in the U.S., drawing bipartisan condemnation. "There is no place in our country for this kind of violence. It must end now," former President Joe Biden said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the attack "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible," while Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said such acts "cannot be allowed in our society."
Authorities say they are working "around the clock" and have "good video footage" of the suspect but will not release more images unless necessary. "We will not stand for what happened yesterday," Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said. "We are investing everything we have into this and we will catch this individual."
