The sniper who assassinated Charlie Kirk is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighbourhood after firing one shot and has not yet been identified, authorities said Thursday in disclosing they recovered a high-powered rifle.
The shooter appeared to be of “college age” and is believed to have blended in on the university campus where Kirk was shot, authorities said as they investigated the latest act of political violence to befall America.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
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Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was killed with a gunshot from a distant rooftop at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking Wednesday. Federal, state and local authorities were working what they called “multiple active crime scenes.”
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Wednesday. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
Two people were detained Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were released, public safety officials said.
The circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the United States that in the last several years has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation, but a national reckoning over ways to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive.
Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” A shot rings out, and Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were set to visit with Kirk’s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City. According to a person familiar with Vance’s plans but not authorised to speak about them publicly, the Vances will visit Utah instead of attending an outdoor ceremony to commemorate September 11 in New York.
Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s Senate run and ultimately praying after hearing of the shooting. Kirk played a pivotal role in setting up the second Trump administration, Vance wrote.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organise and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
Trump announced Thursday he’ll posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Trump said he remained shocked by the horror of Kirk’s assassination praised his ally’s impact on conservative politics. “Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people,” he said.
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