Charlie Kirk assassin’s rifle recovered, FBI says

Authorities have recovered what is believed to be the rifle used Wednesday to shoot and kill conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, according to the FBI. 

“This morning, I can tell you that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon … that was used in yesterday’s shooting. [It] is a high-powered bolt-action rifle,” Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge, said during a press conference early Thursday. “That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled.”

He added that the FBI will be “analyzing this weapon.” 

“Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis,” Bohls told reporters. 

Officials added that they have good footage of the suspect but have no plans to publish it at this time. They believe the suspect to be of college age. As of Thursday morning, a search is still underway for the shooter.

“We are confident in our abilities to track that individual,” Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said. “If we’re unsuccessful in identifying them, immediately, we will reach out for the public’s help and the media’s help in pushing those those photos.”

The FBI also said the route the shooter took from arriving to campus at 11:52 a.m. local time to fleeing into a nearby neighborhood has been tracked. 

“We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location. 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,” Mason said. 

Mason said investigators have been contacting people in the neighborhood to identify any leads. 

Law enforcement initially detained two people who were “persons of interest” Wednesday, but they ended up being cleared and released. 

“We interviewed those individuals, and after releasing them and after clearing them of being suspects. They face scrutiny. They face threats. We asked the public to be patient with the investigative process,” Mason said Thursday morning.

“These individuals were not suspects. They were people of interest. We ask that you do not impose into those in those people and that investigative process. They don’t deserve that harassment for being subject to that.” 

Developing