FBI releases photos of a person of interest in Charlie Kirk’s assassination

The FBI released photos of a person of interest in the shooting of Charlie Kirk as investigators are appealing to the public for tips.

The suspect is believed to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing one shot and has not been identified, authorities said Thursday. They also disclosed they have recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the attack and are reviewing video footage of the person they believe was responsible.

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.

The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the alleged gunman.

Searching for the shooter

Authorities in Utah are working to identify the shooter, who jumped off a roof and fled after firing the fatal shot. A high-powered, bolt-action rifle was recovered from area where the suspected Kirk shooter fled, the FBI said. Kirk’s killer “appears to be of college age” and “blended in” with the college population on the Utah campus where Kirk had drawn a crowd of thousands, an official said.

Kirk’s legacy

The 31-year-old activist personified the pugnacious, populist conservatism that has taken over the Republican Party in the age of Trump. An unabashed Christian conservative who often made provocative statements about gender, race, and politics, Kirk launched his organization, Turning Point USA, in 2012, targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where many GOP activists were nervous to tread.

Trump declares Kirk a ‘martyr’

During remarks at the Pentagon Thursday, Trump said he would posthumously award Kirk with the honor at a later date. In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday, Trump called Kirk “a martyr for truth and freedom” and condemned the “demonizing” of political opponents in the U.S., even as he claimed the rhetoric of the “radical left” was “directly responsible” for the assassination of Kirk. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation.

Rifle and ammunition being checked for clues

Law enforcement recovered a Mauser .30 caliber bolt-action rifle hidden in a towel in a wooded area near the university campus along what they suspect to be the shooter’s path as they fled the scene, according to information circulated among law enforcement and shared with The Associated Press.

In addition to the spent cartridge recovered in the chamber, three other rounds were loaded in the magazine. The weapon and ammunition are now being forensically analyzed by law enforcement at a federal lab for clues that could help identify the shooter or their motive.

Trump to speak with Kirk’s family later Thursday

The president said he plans to speak with Kirk’s family on Thursday afternoon.

Trump made those remarks in a brief conversation with reporters as he left the Pentagon.

Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Utah Thursday to meet with Kirk’s family in person.

Scott Walker says Young America’s Foundation won’t stop holding events

The former Wisconsin governor, now president of the foundation, said his group will continue to hold events on college campuses to attract young people to the Republican Party. But they cancelled a Thursday night event in Santa Barbara featuring conservative commentator Ben Shapiro out of respect for Kirk and his family, Walker said.

“We will review our security measures to ensure the safety of our students, speakers, and staff,” Walker said in a statement on the group’s website. “This will likely mean that we will change venues and security measures for many of our events. But we will not stop. Doing so would mean that the evil assassin who did this wins. He must not win. The best way to honor Charlie’s life is to continue his work.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis: political violence threatens ‘what America’s all about’

The Florida Republican honored Kirk and called for nonviolent political participation as he marked 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at an event in Palm Harbor on Thursday.

“The viability of a republic really depends on our ability to fight those battles in the proper arena, leading into voting, leading into debate,” DeSantis said. “It is certainly not that you kill somebody in order to silence them.”

Students at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton plan to gather Thursday evening to honor Kirk, holding a memorial service and prayer vigil at the student union on the Palm Beach County campus. “May he rest in Peace,” the FAU Turning Point USA chapter posted on its Instagram account. “Security will be present.”

Politicians cancel public appearances after shooting

Elected officials and activists across the political spectrum are canceling their speaking engagements this week, citing concerns of political violence.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the nation’s most prominent progressive voices, has postponed her visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was scheduled to attend a rally with state Democrats on Sunday. She said the cancellation was because of security concerns.

“The scourge of gun violence and political violence must end,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The shooting of Charlie Kirk is the latest incident of this chaos and it must stop. We cannot go down this road.”

Ben Shapiro, a conservative influencer and political commentator who drew a similar audience to Kirk, canceled a book signing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential and other speaking engagements on his public calendar immediately following the shooting. Shapiro said in a post on X that he was “utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul” to learn of Kirk’s death.