Law enforcement officials on Thursday described the suspected shooter who killed conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event as “college-age” and said the attacker used a high-powered bolt-action rifle recovered near the campus.
Utah Department of Public Safety spokesperson Beau Mason said at an early morning news conference that the suspect arrived on the Utah Valley University campus at 11:52 a.m. on Wednesday and blended in with students before making their way to a rooftop. The suspect fired a single shot at a Turning Point USA event that killed Kirk, Mason said. Authorities have footage of the suspected gunman but are not releasing it while the investigation continues.
The FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said the rifle was located in a wooded area close to the campus. The bureau has received more than 130 tips related to the shooting, Bohls said. Officials did not immediately identify a suspect or disclose a motive.
Authorities closed parts of the campus and conducted building sweeps and searches in the hours after the shooting, which prompted a swift local and federal law enforcement response. Witnesses and social media posts captured the chaotic scene as officers moved through campus buildings and a shelter-in-place order was issued then later lifted.
Kirk, founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, was attending or speaking at the campus event when he was struck. Hospital and coroner details have not been released by authorities as they continue to notify next of kin and process the scene.
Investigators said the weapon recovered was a high-powered bolt-action rifle that had been left in a wooded area near the university. Officials provided no further detail Thursday about how the weapon was transported to the rooftop or whether any accessories were used to aim or stabilize the firearm.
Local police, state troopers and federal agents from the FBI worked together in the early stages of the investigation. Bohls said the bureau’s agents were helping to process tips and forensic evidence; the Utah Department of Public Safety said it was coordinating scene management and witness interviews.
Footage reviewed by authorities shows a person they believe to be the shooter moving among students prior to the attack, Mason said. Law enforcement declined to release images or video publicly, citing investigative and privacy concerns.
The shooting drew immediate attention from national political figures and conservative groups, which condemned the killing and called for restraint as the investigation proceeded. Turning Point USA and other group representatives have not disclosed details on planned responses or events in the wake of the shooting.
Officials said they will provide additional information as it becomes available and urged anyone with relevant tips or footage to contact law enforcement. The FBI and local authorities continue to ask the public for assistance in identifying the shooter and determining the precise sequence of events that led to the fatal shot.
Authorities emphasized that the investigation was active and evolving and reiterated appeals for public cooperation. No arrests were announced Thursday, and officials did not provide a timeline for when additional details would be released.