A veteran photojournalist said he retraced the route taken by the man who fatally shot conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University and located a vacant house the suspect used as a temporary refuge before vanishing into a nearby neighborhood.
Jeffrey Allred, a 62-year-old Pulitzer Prize‑nominated photographer, told the Daily Mail he followed the route he says the shooter took after leaping from the Losee Center rooftop, discarding a rifle and moving northeast across Campus Drive toward a red‑brick house under renovation.
Allred said the suspect climbed around a chain‑link fence, scaled a roughly 20‑foot embankment where new concrete stairs led to the property, and entered the unoccupied home. He said a police lieutenant guarding the area later confirmed the man had been there and asked Allred to leave; there was no visible crime‑scene tape when Allred was at the site.
Law enforcement officials recovered a high‑powered bolt‑action rifle near trees on the far side of Campus Drive. Investigators said the ammunition recovered contained engravings linked in social‑media commentary to online gaming and antifascist culture; authorities have not publicly detailed a motive.
Police and prosecutors have identified the person sought in the shooting as 22‑year‑old Tyler Robinson of Utah. Authorities said Robinson was arrested late Thursday after telling his father, a 27‑year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, that he had committed the killing and subsequently surrendering to law enforcement. Prosecutors said he faces the death penalty if convicted.
Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot once in the neck during a Turning Point USA event at the Orem, Utah, campus and collapsed as attendees fled. He was married and had two young children. Former President Donald Trump called the attack a "heinous assassination" and said on television that the suspect had been arrested.
Allred described the area around the university as normally quiet and safe. He said the vacant house appeared to have been open because of renovation work and that the suspect may either have planned to use it as a hideout or encountered it by chance while fleeing. Allred also noted speculation, reported to him by others at the scene, that the suspect might have left the area later by motorcycle or car; he did not provide independent confirmation of those leads.
Officials have released images of the person of interest from the manhunt wearing a black T‑shirt with an eagle and American flag design. Local and federal authorities continue to review video and physical evidence collected at the campus and surrounding neighborhoods as part of the investigation.
Police have not publicly released a timeline that details every movement of the suspect after he left the property Allred photographed, and investigators have cautioned against drawing conclusions until forensic and digital evidence is fully processed. Authorities said interviews with witnesses, forensic analysis of the recovered firearm and ammunition, and other investigative steps are ongoing.
The shooting has prompted renewed discussion about public safety at political events and the security measures used at university campuses. Community members and some local officials have called for a thorough review of campus security procedures; state and campus authorities did not immediately announce policy changes.
Allred, who has worked as a photojournalist for four decades, said the assignment was one of the most intense of his career. "I've been around a lot of breaking news over the years, but this was really jarring," he told the Daily Mail, describing the shock of documenting a violent death and the reactions of people who had viewed video of the shooting.
Prosecutors have said they will provide further updates as the case progresses in court. The investigation remains active, and authorities urged anyone with additional information to contact law enforcement.