The FBI released new surveillance footage and photographs on Thursday showing the suspect accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot and killed just after noon on Wednesday while delivering remarks at a campus event in Orem, Utah. The bureau’s video shows the shooter sprinting across a rooftop, jumping off the building, and fleeing into a nearby neighborhood shortly after the attack.
Investigators collected important trace evidence from the rooftop, including shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm print. Authorities also recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle and ammunition believed to be the murder weapon in a wooded area near the university. Earlier images of the suspect had circulated showing a thin male wearing jeans, a black long-sleeved shirt bearing an American flag graphic, black sunglasses, and a hat. The new FBI photos provided the clearest view yet of the person of interest.
Authorities said the suspect arrived on campus around 11:52 a.m. and climbed a stairwell to reach the rooftop overlooking the green space where Kirk was speaking. About 20 minutes into the event, at 12:20 p.m., a single gunshot rang out, striking Kirk in full view of thousands in attendance. The conservative influencer had just responded to a question regarding mass shootings by transgender individuals when the fatal shot was fired.
President Donald Trump announced early Friday the arrest of a suspect in Kirk’s assassination. Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump said with “a high degree of certainty” that authorities had the individual responsible. He added that someone close to the suspect turned him in, relayed through a minister involved with law enforcement. Trump expressed hope the suspect would be found guilty and receive the death penalty, calling Kirk “the finest person” who “didn’t deserve this.”
The suspect reportedly fired from about 200 yards away from the tent where Kirk was seated at the university’s Losee Center. Initial reports described the gunman wearing jeans, a black shirt, and a black vest, armed with a long rifle atop a structure near the school’s library. Dramatic video from the event captured the moment Kirk clutched his neck and collapsed, triggering panic among the thousands watching.
Trump admitted he did not watch the graphic videos but said he heard enough. “I would have never made a good doctor,” he remarked, explaining he did not want to remember Kirk in such a tragic way. Authorities are continuing their investigation and are expected to provide a public update soon as the community mourns the loss of a prominent and divisive figure.
