Kash Patel remained silent at a public briefing Thursday in Utah as state officials released new surveillance footage and pleaded for public assistance in the search for the person who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox presented video of a man leaving the scene and urged anyone with information to come forward. Patel, who flew to Utah for the briefing, did not take questions or address the assembled reporters, drawing attention amid criticism of the bureau�s handling of the manhunt.
The killing has prompted scrutiny of Patel�s public statements and management decisions. In the hours after the shooting, Patel incorrectly said a suspect had been taken into custody; the error and other actions have renewed criticism of his leadership since taking a senior national security role after a career as a political commentator. The New York Times reported that Patel convened a profanity-laced conference call Thursday morning with more than 200 FBI personnel, calling parts of the search a "Mickey Mouse operation" and criticizing staff for not providing up-to-date information.
A White House official quoted to Reuters described Patel�s earlier announcement as unprofessional and said his performance would be addressed; the official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt pushed back on that characterization, saying Patel has the backing of President Biden�s predecessor and accusing the Reuters report of sowing distrust while authorities hunt a suspect.
The situation has been further complicated by Patel�s decision in August to remove Mehtab Syed as the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake City FBI office, a move critics say weakened local leadership ahead of the investigation. Former colleagues and former agents described Syed as a highly experienced leader in national security work; Christopher O�Leary, a former FBI agent now an MSNBC contributor, called her "truly a humble servant leader" and said she was involved in major cases over two decades. Syed was offered a lower-level position in another field office and chose to retire, according to reporting by NBC News.
Authorities said the search for the suspect entered a third day with no arrest. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason told NBC News his office did not know whether the suspect remained in Utah. "We have no idea," Mason said when asked whether the suspected shooter might still be close to the site of the shooting or across state lines.
Officials released additional surveillance images Thursday showing the person of interest wearing a dark long-sleeved shirt with an American flag on the chest, a gray baseball cap with a triangle logo, sunglasses and carrying a black backpack. Video from campus security shows the suspect running across a roof, descending the building and moving away from the scene. Gov. Cox said authorities had already received more than 7,000 tips and conducted over 200 interviews but emphasized that public assistance remained critical. "We cannot do our job without the public's help right now," Cox said.
The shooting occurred at Utah Valley University, where Kirk, 31, a prominent conservative activist and commentator, was fatally wounded. Authorities have asked anyone who recognizes the clothing or the individual in the footage to contact law enforcement and have urged the public not to approach the suspect.
Federal and state officials did not provide a timeline for when the investigation might produce an arrest. The continued scrutiny of Patel�s public statements and recent personnel decisions has added a political dimension to the operational challenge of locating the suspect, even as officials marshal tips and lead developments in multiple jurisdictions.
The manhunt remained active as law enforcement agencies canvassed leads, reviewed footage and followed up on tips. Investigators have declined to provide additional details about possible motives or other persons of interest, saying they would release more information as it became available and verified.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting was asked to contact local law enforcement or the tip line established by Utah authorities.