Law enforcement officers said Thursday that the assassin who killed Charlie Kirk was believed to be a college student and that investigators may have recaptured a potential weapon to shoot conservative activists during a speech at Utah Valley University a day ago.
FBI agent Robert Bohls said agents found a “high-power bolt-like rifle” in the wooded area where the shooter fled.
The gunman was not in the woods when he was searching, but collected footwear impressions, palm prints and forearm prints for analysis, the agency said. The FBI is also investigating the origins of weapons.
According to ATF emails obtained by multiple news outlets, the rifle cartridges retrieved by investigators were engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology.”
Authorities said the assassin blended with the university crowd when the suspect arrived at the university at 11:52 a.m. and entered a roof overlooking Mr. Kirk’s activity.
The killer fired a shot and hit the political influencer. The suspect then jumped to another building and fled.
See also: “Out of Control”: Charlie Kirk’s Assassination blames left-wing violence
Mr. Kirk died in the hospital shortly after a gunshot wound to the neck.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said officials had a “good video” of the suspect.
“We are not releasing it at the moment,” Mason said. “We are identifying this person through some technology and some methods.”
“If we don’t succeed, we will contact you as the media and we will publicly work to help us identify them. But we are confident in our abilities right now,” he said.
President Trump said Thursday when leaving the 9/11 memorial service at the Pentagon, the raid was in full swing.
“We’re going to see what happens. But we hope we can get him,” Trump said.
See also: Conservative activist Charlie Kirk killed by gunmen at university event
Shortly after the only shooting, authorities detained two interested people.
