Charlie Kirk assassination suspect evades police as rifle, video footage found

The suspect who shot and killed the conservative activist Charlie Kirk will proceed to flee on Thursday, whereas researchers revealed that they’ve discovered a weapon and have “good photographs” of the shooter, which they described as “college age”.

Kirk, the founding father of Turning Level USA, was hit with a single bullet round 12:20 pm native time on Wednesday throughout an occasion at an occasion on the Utah Valley College campus in Orem.

“I can inform you that now we have recovered what we consider that the weapon is utilized in yesterday’s taking pictures is a strong boutactie climate”, FBI Particular agent who was in cost, stated Robert Bohls on Thursday. “That rifle was restored to a wooded space the place the shooter had fled. So the FBI Laboratory will analyze this weapon. Researchers even have the impression of sneakers, a palm print and forearm prints for evaluation.”

Utah Division of Public Security Commissioner Beau Mason additionally stated: “We do have good video photographs of this individual.”

Full protection of Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk, left, might be proven at Utah Valley College on Wednesday 10 September 2025 previous to his homicide. The police reply to the taking pictures on the fitting. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Photographs; George Frey/Getty Photographs)

“From 11:52 am this subject arrived on campus. Shortly from the campus we adopted his actions on campus, via the stairwells, as much as the roof over the roof to the taking pictures location,” Mason added. “After the taking pictures we had been capable of observe his actions whereas shifting to the opposite facet of the constructing, jumped off the constructing and fled from the campus and in a neighborhood.”

“Our researchers have labored via these neighborhoods, contacted everybody they’ll with doorbell cameras, witnesses and completely labored via these communities, attempt to determine leads,” Mason stated.

Mason stated on Wednesday that researchers had been in possession of photographs of “closed circuit TV” of the suspect from the campus safety cameras.

“We’ve got that. We analyze it. However they’re photographs of the safety digital camera, so you possibly can guess the standard of it,” he added. “However we all know, wearing all darkish clothes.”

Utah Dispatch Audio revealed the hectic moments after Kirk was shot.

“He’s going to put on all black, black lengthy gun, black tactical helmet, a black masks, presumably put on a tactical vest and denims,” stated a feminine coordinator through the radio, in response to recordings.

The gang responds after Charlie Kirk has been shot in the course of the go to of Turning Level at Utah Valley College in Orem on Wednesday 10 September 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret Information through AP)

The Utah Division of Public Security stated that after being shot, Kirk was delivered to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, the place he was declared useless.

“This taking pictures continues to be an energetic investigation,” the company stated in an announcement. “The Utah Division of Public Security (DPS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) lead this incident along with the workplace of Utah County’s legal professionals, the workplace of the Sheriff of Utah County and the native police companies.”

“DPS” Staatscrime Lab, along with all of the regulation enforcement concerned, work a number of energetic crime scenes. These had been recognized on the premise of the place the sufferer was shot, in addition to the places the place the suspect and the sufferer traveled, “the assertion continued.

“The taking pictures is taken into account a focused assault,” stated it too. “The shooter is meant to have shot the roof from a constructing to the situation of the general public occasion on the pupil place. No further clarifications may be supplied to guard the integrity of our analysis.”

Vigils held over us after homicide of Charlie Kirk: ‘We should heal’

A deputy screens the scene at Utah Valley College after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed on Thursday 11 September 2025 in Orem, Utah. (AP/Lindsey Wasson)

DPS stated it initially took George Zinn as a suspect, however later launched him. Zinn was accused of obstruction by the campus police.

A second individual was then taken into custody, however he too was launched after an interrogation by regulation enforcement, DPS added.

“There aren’t any present ties with the taking pictures with certainly one of these folks,” stated DPS.

The FBI now asks the general public to share data, photographs or movies they’ve from the incident.

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“To safe the occasion, UVU PD had six officers on the occasion,” stated DPS. “These safety measures had been a complement to Charlie Kirk’s safety element, which travels with him. About 3,000 folks had been current. The placement of the occasion was held on the College Quad, a courtyard within the campus for occasions. This can be a tragic second for Utah and our nation.”

Michael Ruiz from Fox Information has contributed to this report.