Key Takeaways:
- Weapon Recovered: FBI confirmed they found a high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to be the weapon used to kill Charlie Kirk, along with other forensic evidence.
- Suspect Tracked: Investigators traced the shooter’s path across the university roof, through stairwells, and into a nearby neighborhood; suspect is believed to be college-aged.
- Investigation Ongoing: Two individuals initially detained were cleared, with officials urging the public not to harass them while the FBI and state police continue the manhunt.
Federal investigators announced Thursday that they have recovered what they believe to be the rifle used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
“This morning, I can tell you that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon … that was used in yesterday’s shooting. [It] is a high-powered bolt-action rifle,” FBI special agent in charge Robert Bohls told reporters. The weapon was found abandoned in a wooded area near the suspect’s escape route.
The FBI is now analyzing the rifle, along with other evidence: “Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis,” Bohls said. Officials confirmed they also have clear video footage of the suspect, believed to be college-aged, though it will not yet be released publicly.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason described the suspect’s movements in detail: “We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location. After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood.”
Authorities stressed that while two individuals were initially detained, they were cleared after questioning. Mason urged the public not to harass those wrongly swept into the investigation.
The search for Kirk’s killer continues, and investigators say they are confident an arrest is imminent. But the bigger truth remains: a conservative leader was assassinated on American soil for his ideas. For a movement built on free speech, entrepreneurship, and liberty, justice cannot come soon enough.