The sniper who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk remained at large Friday, even as investigators released images and video of a man believed to be behind Wednesday’s politically charged killing at a Utah university.
President Donald Trump said authorities were making progress in the manhunt for the gunman, who fired a single rifle round that struck Kirk in the neck. Kirk, 31, was an author, podcast host and a leading figure in mobilizing conservative youth voters, credited with helping Trump return to the White House.
Officials stopped short of calling the man seen in surveillance footage a suspect, instead labeling him a “person of interest.” They confirmed he was present at the scene of the crime, Utah Valley University in Orem.
Kirk had been on campus hosting one of his student outreach events, where he often invited heated debate on polarizing topics such as race and gun violence. Roughly 3,000 people were in attendance.
The shooting underscored what analysts describe as the most sustained wave of political violence in the United States since the 1970s. Reuters has documented more than 300 politically motivated acts across the ideological spectrum since Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump himself survived two attempts on his life last year, one that left him with a grazed ear during a campaign event and another foiled by federal agents two months later.
Video shown at a press briefing late Thursday depicted a man walking across the roof of the building where the gunfire originated before climbing down, dropping to the ground and leaving campus. Across the road, he entered a small wooded area where officials recovered what they described as a high-powered, bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the shooting.
Bolt-action rifles, unlike self-loading semi-automatic rifles often used in mass shootings, are popular with American hunters, target shooters and snipers in militaries worldwide. They require manually loading each cartridge into the chamber with a turn of the bolt but are considered more accurate at long range when a single, fatal shot is needed.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the man left palm impressions and smudges where investigators were seeking DNA.
“There’s a shoe imprint where we believe the suspect is clearly identified as wearing Converse tennis shoes,” Mason said.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, appearing at a briefing with FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials, asked for the public’s help in identifying the slender young man, whose appearance was partially concealed by a dark baseball cap and sunglasses.
“We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” Cox said. “So far, we’ve received more than 7,000 leads and tips. I would just note that the FBI hasn’t received this many digital media tips from the public since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.”
The FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Kirk’s killer. Lawmakers, commentators and online sleuths have already filled social media and message boards with speculation about the gunman’s identity and his ideology.
Kirk, 31, a husband and father of two, was a prominent figure in Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. Vice President JD Vance credited him with helping Trump win the 2024 presidential election and influencing key administration appointments.
Vance canceled a trip to New York and instead traveled to Utah to see Kirk’s family and to accompany them and Kirk’s casket home to Arizona aboard Air Force Two.
Trump said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
“Charlie Kirk was a great person, a great man – great in every way, especially with youth,” Trump told reporters.
“Investigators are making great strides in finding Charlie Kirk’s assassin. Hopefully we’ll have him and we will deal with him very appropriately,” Trump said.
