A search was continuing Thursday for the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk at an event at Utah Valley University. Kirk, a prominent conservative activist who co-founded the right-wing advocacy group Turning Point USA, was 31.
Authorities have not yet identified or apprehended a suspect nor specified a motive, but on Thursday officials revealed new details about the shooter’s movements and the investigation.
Officials took two people into custody in the wake of the shooting but later said neither was tied to the shooting and both were released.
Here is what we know so far about the ongoing investigation.
Suspect at large
Authorities said the suspect remained at large Thursday and that manhunt is underway to identify and capture the person responsible.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the suspect “blended in” with the college community and appears to be “college-age.”
Mason said investigators have been able to track the shooter’s movements before and after the assassination. He said the gunman is believed to have arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m. local time and moved through stairwells to the roof of a building near where Kirk’s event was taking place, which was the shooting location.
Mason said the shooter moved to the other side of the building after firing a single shot, then jumped off and fled into a neighborhood off campus. Investigators contacted homeowners with cameras, and witnesses, to identify leads, he said.
The FBI’s Salt Lake City field office established a tip submission form where people can share information or about the shooting. The agency said it has “full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical, operational, investigative and intelligence.” It is investigating along with Utah state authorities.
Echoing law enforcement agencies and elected officials, President Trump vowed to “find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity.” Kirk was a close Trump ally and was credited with galvanizing younger voters during his campaign.
A “targeted attack”
Kirk was struck in the neck at around 12 p.m. local time Wednesday by a single gunshot, which the perpetrator fired as Kirk addressed a large crowd at an outdoor “Prove Me Wrong” debate on Utah Valley University’s campus in Orem, Utah.
The “Prove Me Wrong” debate is a trademark event for Kirk’s Turning Point USA, a conservative organization focused on young people, where he would hold political debates with a group that usually consisted of left-leaning attendees. Kirk had visited the Utah school as part of a nationwide tour of college campuses that was scheduled to continue for the next two months. About 3,000 people attended the outdoor event, the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a statement.
While authorities have not specified a potential motive for the shooting, Mason said they believe it was a “targeted attack toward one individual.” Only one shot was fired, and Kirk was the only victim, according to the commissioner.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called the shooting “a political assassination,” while Mr. Trump, in a video posted to Truth Social, blamed it on “radical left political violence,” which he said “has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives.”
Shooting location
A map produced by CBS News’ Confirmed team shows where Kirk was located when he was shot, in the central courtyard of Utah Valley University.
According to a university spokeswoman, a single shot is believed to have been fired from the Losee Center. The building, which is also known as the Losee Center for Student Success, houses a number of student services and resources, including academic advising, tutoring services and other student support offices, according to the university.
A law enforcement source told CBS News that the gunman appeared to have fired from the building’s roof.
Weapon recovered
FBI special-agent-in-charge Robert Bohls said Thursday that investigators recovered the weapon in the assassination, and said it is a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle.”
The gun was found in a wooded area where the shooter fled and will be analyzed by the FBI, according to Bohls.
Investigators also have a footwear impression, palm print and forearm imprints that will be analyzed, the FBI official said.
Joe Walsh and
contributed to this report.
Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.
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