OREM, UTAH — The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Thursday released pictures of a “person of interest” in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and is asking the public for help in identifying the individual. The images were posted by the FBI Salt Lake City office on its social media account, urging anyone with information to come forward.
The incident occurred on Wednesday when Kirk was fatally shot by a single bullet during a public speaking event at the Sorensen Center courtyard on the Utah Valley University campus. Eyewitness video footage, which has since gone viral, shows Kirk speaking into a microphone when a shot rings out, causing him to instantly collapse as blood gushes from his neck.
We are asking for the public's help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
— FBI Salt Lake City (@FBISaltLakeCity) September 11, 2025
1-800-CALL-FBI
Digital media tips: https://t.co/K7maX81TjJ pic.twitter.com/ALuVkTXuDc
Authorities have now recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle, which they believe was the weapon used in the attack. The weapon was found in a wooded area where the suspect fled. Investigators also have “good video footage” of the suspect, who they believe is “of college age” and was able to blend in with the student population, complicating the manhunt.
The assassination occurred during a “Prove Me Wrong” debate hosted by Kirk’s nonprofit political youth organization, Turning Point USA. At the moment he was shot, Kirk was in the middle of a question-and-answer session on gun violence. A person in the crowd had just asked him, “Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” to which Kirk responded, “Too many.” The questioner followed up by asking about the total number of mass shooters in America, and just as Kirk began to answer, the fatal shot was fired from a rooftop nearby.
The killing of the 31-year-old Trump ally has sent shockwaves across the country. In response, President Donald Trump has announced he will posthumously award Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, are also scheduled to meet with Kirk’s family in Salt Lake City to offer their condolences.
The FBI has described the shooting as a “targeted event” and continues its manhunt for the at-large suspect.