SALT LAKE CITY (KTVX) — The family of a man who was wrongly identified as a person of interest and interrogated after the assassination of Charlie Kirk spoke with Nexstar’s ABC4.com on Thursday.
“It’s ridiculous. It’s absolutely uncalled for and insane,” the father of a man detained by police in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination said.
Wednesday afternoon, just hours after the assassination, FBI Director Kash Patel announced via X. “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that a “person of interest” was in custody during a press conference.
Two hours after his first post, Patel announced that “the subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”
According to a press release from the Utah Department of Public Safety, police took two suspects into custody: George Zinn and Zachariah Qureshi. Zinn was released and charged with obstruction by Utah Valley University police. However, Qureshi was interrogated by law enforcement and then released.
Zachariah Qureshi, 25, is a resident of Provo and a returned Latter-day Saint missionary. He attended the event as a supporter, his family said. Qureshi’s father told ABC4.com that his son was “mistakenly detained” by police and that his son had absolutely no role in the assassination.
Federal Agents and local police enter UVU campus during active shooter situation following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. (Courtesy/MJ Jewkes)
“They should be focused on finding the killer,” Qureshi said, adding that his son was just 20 feet from Kirk when the shooting occurred. “He was in line to ask a question.”
Qureshi explained his son went back to his Provo apartment before being found by federal agents and police officers who brought him in to be interrogated despite there being no evidence to implicate him in the assassination.
“After releasing them, and after clearing them of being suspects, they faced scrutiny, they faced threats,” DPS Commissioner Beau Mason said in a press conference.
“There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals. There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter,” DPS later released.
Qureshi said his family has received online harassment since Wednesday’s events. He said his family’s home address in Texas was even posted online.
“They don’t deserve that harassment,” Commissioner Mason said.
Qureshi told ABC4.com that his son was a supporter of Kirk.
“We’re terribly sorry for Charlie’s family,” Qureshi said.
Previous Coverage
Charlie Kirk, a conservative influencer, was shot while at a rally on the Utah Valley University campus. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition but did not survive.
Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at the Orem school as part of his American Comeback Tour hosted by the Turning Point USA chapter at UVU. The event started at 12 p.m. in the UVU Courtyard.
A petition was created to protest Charlie Kirk’s planned appearances at UVU and Utah State University.
According to a UVU spokesperson, at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, “a single shot rang out in the quad near the food court” at the UVU Orem campus as Charlie Kirk began speaking at his event.
Kirk was hit and transported to the hospital.
President Trump announced Kirk’s death Wednesday afternoon. As of Thursday, investigators were still searching for the shooter.
Sorina Trauntvein contributed to this reporting.
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