The Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI are asking for the public’s help in identifying a “person of interest” one day after Charlie Kirk was shot to death.
“We are seeking the public’s help in identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the DPS shared in a Thursday statement. They provided two images of whom could be the suspected shooter, after earlier saying he looked “college age” and revealing he left his high-powered bolt action rifle in the nearby woods after leaving the scene of the crime.
The images feature a man wearing a black, long-sleeve shirt adorned with a patriotic symbol of some kind and jeans walking a stairwell and hallway. He is also wearing a hat, sunglasses and a backpack.
“The UVU campus will be closed for the rest of the week. If students, faculty or staff need additional information about the campus, please visit uvu.info,” the DPS’ latest message continued. The FBI Salt Lake City tip form is now live.
The Thursday update comes just hours after FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls and DPS Commissioner Beau Mason held a joint-press conference to share updates in the active investigation after the Turning Point USA co-founder and conservative activist was assassinated on Wednesday.
“We’re not releasing many details right now. We will soon, but right now we’re not. But, that individual appears to be of college age,” Bohls said at the time. “We are confident in our abilities to track that individual. If we’re unsuccessful in identifying them, immediately, we will reach out to the public’s help and the media’s help in pushing those photos. That was a new development overnight, working through the night, studying those cameras, so that’s something that’s new and that we’re working through right now.”
“The FBI laboratory will be analyzing this one. Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis,” he added.
“Through all that work last night, we were able to make a few breakthroughs. We were able to track the movements of the shooter. Starting at 11:52 a.m., the subject arrived on campus, shortly away from campus. We had tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location,” Mason further noted. “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. Our investigators have worked through those neighborhoods contacting anybody they can, with doorbell cameras, witnesses, and thoroughly work through those communities trying to identify any leads.”
The officials did not provide a motive, but did ensure the public they do not think the local community is at risk since the shooting appears to have been a targeted event. They did, however, confirm they have “good video footage” of the suspect.
Kirk was shot on Wednesday while speaking at his American Comeback Tour stop at UVU in Orem, Utah. He was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. He was 31. While Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and FBI Director Kash Patel initially reported two different persons of interest were taken into custody, the real suspect remains at large.
