Vice President J.D. Vance walked alongside the casket of Charlie Kirk on Thursday as Air Force Two carried the conservative activist’s remains from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, while federal authorities continued a nationwide search for the person who fatally shot Kirk the previous day at a Utah college event.
Kirk’s widow, Erika Frantzve, who was visibly emotional, deplaned in Phoenix with Second Lady Usha Vance at her side. Kirk’s two young children and his parents were on the flight, and his casket was taken to Hansen Memorial Chapel in Arizona. President Donald Trump said he plans to attend a funeral that he expected would be held “next weekend.”
Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative commentator, was shot Wednesday while speaking and taking questions at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem. Authorities said a single bullet struck him in the neck and that the fatal shot appeared to have been fired from a location on the top of the Losee Center roughly 200 feet away from the stage.
Federal and local investigators said Thursday they had recovered a rifle and bullets and released photographs of a person of interest. The FBI appealed to the public for photos, videos and tips, offering an award of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls urged members of the public to submit any material and described even small tips as potentially important to the probe.
Images released by law enforcement show a slim-built individual wearing a snapback, sunglasses, long pants and a long-sleeved top bearing a bald eagle and an American-flag motif. Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the person appeared to be of college age and had “blended in well with the college institution.” Authorities said investigators recovered bullets from a Mauser rifle and that markings on the ammunition included references to transgender and antifascist ideology, according to a memo reported by the Wall Street Journal. A rifle was found in a wooded area near the campus, officials said.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, Salt Lake County deputies detained a 71-year-old man, George Zinn, after he was seen being led away in viral video footage. Officers later cleared Zinn as a suspect in the killing but charged him with obstruction. Zinn is a well-known local political gadfly with a history of disruptive behavior and prior arrests stretching back decades, including a 2013 case in which he threatened to bomb a marathon and later served prison time. Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill and other local officials said Zinn’s behavior at public events has often drawn law enforcement attention.
Investigators said they were following multiple leads and had detained and cleared at least one other person of interest during the initial response. The FBI has established an online portal for tips and is also accepting information by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox condemned the attack and noted that the state still authorizes capital punishment. The slaying has intensified scrutiny of the security arrangements for high-profile political figures and at campus events, and it prompted a rapid federal response to support the local investigation.
Kirk built a national profile through Turning Point USA and regular campus debates and appearances. His death drew rare public attention and a steady stream of officials and family members to the transportation and funeral arrangements on Thursday, as friends and colleagues paid tribute and authorities pressed to identify and apprehend the shooter.
Federal and local law enforcement urged anyone with information to come forward, reiterating that tips, video and photographic evidence can be critical to reconstructing events and locating the person responsible. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities said additional details would be released as they are confirmed.