The FBI on Thursday released photos of a person of interest in the assassination of Charlie Kirk at a Utah college, in the midst of a massive manhunt.
“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI’s Salt Lake City office wrote in a post on X, also directing people to a webpage where they could submit tips about the individual seen in the photos.
In the provided images, the individual, who appears to be a white male, can be seen wearing a long-sleeve dark shirt, a black hat, sunglasses, and jeans.
Earlier on Thursday, the FBI and local authorities said in a news conference that they recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle that was discarded in a wooded area.
They also said they obtained surveillance footage of a possible suspect. So far, no name or motive has been ascribed to the individual. Two individuals who were detained on Wednesday were released, the FBI also said.
Investigators are confident they will find the shooter, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said in the Thursday morning conference.
Aside from the images of a suspect, they are analyzing a palm print and a shoe impression found near the scene, he also stated.
Mason also said the suspect they are seeking “appears to be of college age” and “blended in” with students on the college campus.
Authorities were also able to track the suspected shooter’s movements after he jumped from a building, moved through stairwells, and ultimately fled from campus into the neighborhood, Mason added.
Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump, was killed in broad daylight while speaking about social issues at a Utah Valley University campus courtyard. The killing drew bipartisan condemnation in Congress.
The assassination was captured on videos circulating on social media that show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out. Kirk can be seen reaching up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start fleeing the scene.
In a video released on Wednesday, Trump said that Kirk was a “martyr for truth and freedom” and said that progressive ideology and rhetoric was “directly responsible” for his death.
“It’s a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequences of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible,” Trump added.
The State Department on Thursday warned foreign visa applicants and visa holders that they could be denied a U.S. visa or deported if they praise or mock Kirk’s death.
“In light of yesterday’s horrific assassination of a leading political figure, I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said in a post on X.
He then asked social media users to copy him on any posts they see that could warrant further investigation.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
