The FBI released two photos of a “person of interest” on Thursday as the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s shooter continues.
“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office wrote on X.
The FBI said it is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to “the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible” for Kirk’s death.
Earlier in the day, authorities said they had recovered a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” they believe was used to kill Kirk.
At the time, law enforcement officials said they had “good video” of the suspect but were not yet ready to release any images.
Utah Commissioner of Public Safety Beau Mason said law enforcement was able to track the suspect from their arrival on the Utah Valley University campus at 11:52 a.m. through fleeing the scene after a single shot was fired around roughly 12:20 p.m. Law enforcement recovered the rifle believed to be used in the attack in a wooded area near the campus.
Investigators, Mason said, have reached out to residents in a nearby neighborhood to see if there were any witnesses or doorbell cameras that captured the suspect leaving the area.
Mason said the individual “appears to be of college age” and was able to “blend in” well with the Utah Valley University crowd that had gathered to hear Kirk speak.
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Kirk was rushed to an area hospital after being shot in the neck but died from his injuries on Wednesday afternoon. President Donald Trump and scores of political and business leaders have praised Kirk’s legacy of building youth support for the conservative movement.
Two persons of interest were taken into custody on Wednesday but were released after authorities determined they were not involved in Kirk’s killing.
Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, said the public needs to be patient with the investigation. Mason also asked people to stop harassing the two individuals who had since been released.
“Any attack on the First Amendment is an attack on the very foundation of our democracy,” Bohls said. “That is why we will relentlessly pursue this case and the shooter until we find him.”
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Utah Valley University announced on Wednesday evening that its campus will remain closed through Sunday. Mason said that he spoke with Erika Kirk, Charlie Kirk’s wife, on Wednesday and that law enforcement is doing everything it can to get Kirk’s body home to his family after an examination by the state medical examiner.
Trump said on Thursday that he would posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. The president said that Kirk’s legacy will live on.
“Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” Trump said during an event at the Pentagon marking the September 11th anniversary.
