The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released images of a “person of interest” and is offering a substantial reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual responsible for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The images, which depict a person in a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a black long-sleeved shirt, were released as the manhunt intensifies following Wednesday’s targeted killing.
The shooting took place at Utah Valley University, where Kirk, the 31-year-old co-founder of Turning Point USA, was addressing a crowd of an estimated 3,000 people. The Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI have confirmed that a single shot was fired from a distant rooftop, striking Kirk and causing a scene of chaos and panic among attendees. Authorities believe the shooter, who is described as appearing to be “of college age,” blended in with the crowd and fled on foot after jumping from the building. Investigators have since recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle believed to be the murder weapon, and are analyzing additional forensic evidence, including footwear and palm prints.
The investigation, which has been labeled a “targeted event” by the FBI, has already seen two other individuals taken into custody and subsequently released after they were cleared of any connection to the crime. As the search for the shooter continues, Utah Governor Spencer Cox has publicly called the killing a “political assassination.” The case has drawn national attention, with President Donald Trump announcing that he will posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The FBI is urging anyone with information about the person in the images to contact their tip line.
The video below shows a news report on the shooting and the ongoing investigation.