A man who said he was the person seen cheering after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University posted on social media Thursday offering an explanation for his actions, saying he had drawn attention so security could escape.
Video circulating online shows a bearded man in the audience appearing to smile, pump his fist and cheer as Kirk collapsed after a shot rang out during a lunchtime appearance on campus Wednesday. The clip prompted widespread condemnation on social platforms, with some users urging federal investigators to question the man.
A user on X who identified himself as "David" and who posts under the handle @RtothepowerofX wrote that he had not intended to draw attention to himself and asserted that his actions were meant to allow a security team to get away. The account said it could not yet publicly address the episode in fuller detail because of concerns for his family's safety. The identity of the account holder and whether he is the person in the video could not be independently verified.
"Losing Charlie Kurk is heavy, and we are still mourning," the user wrote in one post, using an incorrect spelling of Kirk's surname. In subsequent replies, the account said the reaction was "dumb" but that he did not regret it, and pleaded for prayers for Kirk's family. The posts drew further criticism, with some users accusing the man of celebrating a death and asking law enforcement to investigate.
Investigators have continued to focus on locating the shooter, who remains at large. Authorities said the gunman fired a single shot from a rooftop near the Losee Center during the event on Wednesday, striking Kirk in the neck at about 12:20 p.m. Kirk, 31, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, was taken to a hospital and later died. He is survived by his wife, Erika, and two children.
The FBI has released two images of a person of interest and described the suspect as wearing dark clothing, aviator-style sunglasses and carrying a long gun. Law enforcement officials have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and asked the public for assistance.
In the course of their canvass of the scene and surrounding area, investigators reported finding a palm print and a shoe impression, as well as a Mauser .30-caliber bolt-action rifle that was recovered wrapped in a towel in a wooded area the department believes may have been along the shooter’s flight path. Authorities said three rounds remained in the rifle's magazine besides the spent cartridge recovered in the chamber. The weapon and ammunition were sent to a federal laboratory for forensic analysis.
Video of the attack shows a large outdoor crowd of roughly 3,000 people as Kirk answered questions from the audience when the shot was fired. Spectators can be heard screaming and running for cover; some fell while attempting to flee. The rooftop from which the shot was believed to have been fired is adjacent to the event area, according to law enforcement accounts.
President Donald Trump, joined by lawmakers in condemning the violence, said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, were reported to be planning a visit with Kirk's family in the Salt Lake City area.
Federal and local authorities have urged anyone with information about the shooting, the person captured in the FBI images or the man seen in the crowd to contact investigators. The FBI has not tied the social media posts by the account claiming to be the cheering man to the broader investigation, and law enforcement has not publicly identified the individual seen in the video.
As federal and local agents continue to pursue leads and process forensic evidence, the identity and motives of the shooter remain under investigation. The man who posted on X saying he was the person seen cheering said he would speak more "some time" after he felt safer, but offered no additional corroborating evidence to substantiate his account.