A search was continuing Friday for the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University. Kirk, a prominent conservative activist who co-founded the right-wing advocacy group Turning Point USA, was 31.
Authorities have not yet identified or apprehended a suspect nor specified a motive, but on Thursday officials revealed new details about the shooter’s movements, a weapon that was recovered and the progress of the investigation.
The Utah Public Safety Department and the Salt Lake City FBI office posted two images of someone they called a “person of interest,” showing an individual appearing to be wearing a dark long-sleeve shirt, and a hat and sunglasses.
FBI
The two agencies released several more photos Thursday evening of the person of interest, who appeared to be on a staircase and wearing a backpack. The agency did not disclose where the photos were taken.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said authorities had received more than 7,000 leads and tips from the public as of Thursday evening, and nearly 200 interviews have been conducted by investigators.
Officials took two people into custody Wednesday in the wake of the shooting but later said neither was tied to the shooting and both were released.
Here is what we know so far about the ongoing investigation.
Suspect at large
Authorities said the suspect remained at large and that a manhunt is ongoing to identify and capture the person responsible.
The FBI said it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads law enforcement to identify and arrest the person or people involved in Kirk’s assassination.
Two law enforcement sources told CBS News Thursday that U.S. Marshals were assisting the FBI in tracking down the suspected shooter. The FBI remains the lead investigating agency but is working with Utah officials.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the suspect was a male who “blended in” with the college community and appears to be “college-age.”
Mason said investigators have been able to track the shooter’s movements before and after the assassination. He said the gunman is believed to have arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m. local time Wednesday and moved through stairwells to the roof of a building near where Kirk’s event was taking place, which was the shooting location.
Mason said the shooter moved to the other side of the building after firing a single shot, then jumped off and fled into a neighborhood off campus. Investigators contacted homeowners with cameras, and witnesses, to identify leads, he said.
In a news briefing Thursday evening in Orem with FBI Director Kash Patel in attendance, officials released new security video that shows a man — whom Mason called a suspect — running across the roof and then climbing down the side of the building immediately after the shooting.
As he climbed off the edge of the building and dropped down, he “left some palm impressions, some smudges, some places we’re looking to collect DNA,” along with a shoe print that indicated he was wearing Converse tennis shoes, Mason told reporters while showing the video.
“It’s important to note his black t-shirt, his black pants, and there appears to be some white on the soles of those Converse tennis shoes,” Mason said. “Those are all identifiable items that we’re looking for.”
After dropping off the building, the video showed the man moving across a grassy area before entering into traffic. Mason said he crossed the street into a wooded area, where the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was later found.
Mason had previously said authorities “have good video footage” of the person of interest, which they hope will help as they work to identify him.
Earlier Thursday, three sources told CBS News that federal law enforcement investigators believed they had the name of a person of interest in the case. However, late Thursday night, the same sources told CBS News the lead had not panned out.
Weapon recovered
FBI special-agent-in-charge Robert Bohls said Thursday that investigators recovered a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle,” which they believe was the weapon used in the assassination. It was found in a wooded area where the shooter fled and will be analyzed by the FBI, according to Bohls.
Investigators also have a footwear impression, palm print and forearm imprints that will be analyzed, the FBI official said.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City field office established a tip submission form where people can share information about the shooting. The agency said it has “full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical, operational, investigative and intelligence.” It is investigating along with Utah state authorities.
A “targeted attack”
Kirk was struck in the neck at around 12 p.m. local time Wednesday by a single gunshot, which the perpetrator fired as Kirk addressed a large crowd at an outdoor “Prove Me Wrong” debate on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah.
The “Prove Me Wrong” debate is a trademark event for Kirk’s Turning Point USA, a conservative organization focused on young people, where he would hold political debates with a group that usually consisted of left-leaning attendees. Kirk had visited the Utah school as part of a nationwide tour of college campuses that was scheduled to continue for the next two months. About 3,000 people attended the outdoor event, the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
While authorities have not specified a potential motive for the shooting, Mason said they believe it was a “targeted attack toward one individual.” Only one shot was fired, and Kirk was the only victim, according to the commissioner.
Cox called the shooting “a political assassination,” while President Trump, in a video posted to Truth Social, blamed it on “radical left political violence,” which he said “has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives.” Mr. Trump vowed to “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity.” Kirk was a close Trump ally and was credited with galvanizing younger voters during his campaign.
On Thursday, Cox said the state plans to seek the death penalty in Kirk’s murder.
“We’ve been working with our attorneys, getting everything that we need, affidavits ready, so that we can pursue the death penalty in this case. And that will happen here in the state of Utah,” the governor told reporters at a Thursday evening press conference.
Bohls reiterated Thursday that investigators consider the shooting to be a “targeted event,” and do not believe there are lingering risks to the public.
Shooting location
A map produced by CBS News’ Confirmed team shows where Kirk was when he was shot — in the central courtyard of Utah Valley University, which is surrounded by campus buildings.
A university spokeswoman said Wednesday they believed the shot was fired from the Losee Center. A law enforcement source told CBS News that the gunman appeared to have fired from the building’s roof.
CBS News Confirmed
Video verified by CBS News shows a person running across the building’s roof in the moments after the shooting, about 400 feet from where Kirk was speaking. Authorities have not confirmed whether that person is connected to the attack. Drone video captured afterward shows police tape on the roof where the person was seen.
Jennifer Jacobs,
Pat Milton,
Nicole Sganga,
Kaia Hubbard,
Kathryn Watson,
Erielle Delzer,
Joe Walsh and
Melissa Quinn
contributed to this report.
