The FBI has released images of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of conservative youth leader Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, as authorities intensify a nationwide manhunt for the suspected gunman.
Kirk, 31, the founder and CEO of Turning Point USA and one of the most prominent voices on the American right, was shot on Wednesday while speaking at an outdoor campus event in Orem, Utah. He was struck by a single round fired from a rooftop and later pronounced dead in hospital.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City office on Thursday shared two images showing a man wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses inside a campus stairwell, asking for the public’s help in identifying him.
“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk,” the bureau said on X, offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason confirmed investigators had pieced together the suspect’s route. The man is believed to have accessed a campus rooftop via a stairwell, fired a single shot at Kirk around 12:20 p.m., and then fled by jumping from the building into a nearby neighbourhood.
As per local media reports, authorities have recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon: a high-powered Mauser .30-06 calibre bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel. The rifle, an older imported model, was found in a wooded area matching the suspect’s escape path. A spent cartridge was still chambered, alongside three unused rounds inscribed with what investigators described as “transgender and anti-fascist” markings. Officials cautioned it was unclear whether the writings reflected the suspect’s motives or were intended as misdirection.
The FBI said DNA and fingerprint testing is underway on the weapon, along with palm and footwear impressions also recovered near the scene. Officials stressed the attack was “targeted” and vowed to “exhaust every lead.”
The assassination has triggered heightened security measures around former President Donald Trump, with whom Kirk was closely allied. Trump attended a 9/11 memorial event on Thursday inside a secured Pentagon courtyard rather than at its traditional outdoor site amid concerns for his safety.
In a video statement, Trump accused Democrats of fuelling a climate of hostility against conservatives.
“It’s long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonising those with whom you disagree.”
Vice President JD Vance is expected to meet Kirk’s family in Salt Lake City before accompanying them and Kirk’s casket to Phoenix aboard Air Force Two.
Arizona was Kirk’s home state and the headquarters of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organisation he founded, which grew into a powerful force in Republican politics and President Trump’s 2024 outreach to young voters.
Tributes have poured in from conservative figures and grassroots supporters alike, hailing Kirk as a defining voice for a new generation of right-wing activists.
Meanwhile, federal agents are canvassing neighbourhoods around Utah Valley University, knocking on doors, seeking surveillance footage, and urging the public to come forward with any information. “We will not stand for what happened yesterday,” Mason said.
“We are investing everything we have into this, and we will catch this individual.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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