Search ongoing for Charlie Kirk shooting suspect, rifle found near campus
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People attend a vigil for Charlie Kirk in Orem, Utah, on Sept. 10. Photo: Melissa Majchrzak/AFP via Getty Images
Authorities identified the firearm they believe was used to shoot and kill conservative activist Charlie Kirk, officials said on Thursday.
Driving the news: Officials said they tracked the alleged shooter's movements before and after the shooting, but a manhunt for the suspect is still ongoing.
- Authorities are searching for what they believe to be a "college-age" suspect.
Context: Kirk died on Wednesday after being shot at a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
- In a video released after Kirk's death, President Trump vowed to target political violence and said "radical left" rhetoric "is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."
Zoom in: The weapon believed to be used is a bolt-action rifle, recovered in a wooded area near the campus where the suspect fled. The FBI will analyze the firearm, said Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office.
- Law enforcement officials said they have video of the suspect but aren't releasing it yet. A source familiar with the investigation confirmed to Axios that the video is "high quality."
- The suspect has not been publicly identified by law enforcement.
- The suspect arrived on campus around 11:52am local time, officials said at a Thursday morning press conference.
- Authorities said they have tracked the suspect's movement through stairwells and to the roof where the shooting took place. He then jumped off the building's roof and moved away from campus, they said.
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