Officials release video of person of interest in Charlie Kirk assassination

Vigil kirk

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A photo of Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, stands at his vigil, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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People react next to candles a vigil for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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People embrace during a vigil for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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A man reacts during a vigil for Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA who was shot and killed, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

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One was at a church close to Utah Valley University where Kirk was assassinated. The other was a few minutes away at a park.

A pastor said the church vigil was an opportunity for members of the community to gather and process what happened.

At the park, dozens of candles glowed beneath a photo of Kirk. People also left flowers and American flags. At one point, an instrumental version of “God Bless The U.S.A.” played.

“We cannot do our job without the public’s help,” said Gov. Spencer Cox, adding that the FBI had received more than 7,000 leads and tips.

Cox said they want to “catch this assassin and hold him accountable.”

The governor said Utah would be prepared to seek the death penalty once an arrest was made.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason narrated surveillance video showing the person sought in connection with the shooting running across a roof, climbing off the edge of the roof and dropping to the ground.

Mason said the person left some palm impressions, smudges and a shoe imprint. Officials hope to collect DNA.

Photos released by law enforcement show the person of interest in a black long-sleeve T-shirt featuring an American flag, an eagle and the words “Land of the Free, Home of the Brave.”

Joe VanFonda, the CEO of the Disabled Veterans National Foundation, said Thursday the Maryland-based non-profit had received a handful of calls from people who said the man appears to be wearing one of the group’s shirts.

He says the shirt was mailed to supporters of the foundation and it’s never been for sale. The group had shipped out thousands of shirts with the same logo to its donor list, but that a more limited number were distributed in black with long sleeves since 2023. He added that most of their group’s donors were over 60.

VanFonda is a retired Marine and said his group is non-partisan and steers clear of politics.

He says his organization had not been contacted by law enforcement.

The MSNBC political analyst, who lost his job shortly after on-air comments about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, was the first of many individuals to face consequences Thursday for public statements or posts about the shooting.

Several conservative activists have sought to identify social media users whose posts about Kirk they viewed as offensive. Right-wing influencer Laura Loomer said she would try to ruin the professional aspirations of anyone who celebrated Kirk’s death.

Both MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler and Dowd apologized for the remarks made shortly after the shooting which Kutler called “inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable.”

The rush to police commentary appeared to have little precedent in other recent examples of political violence, such as the 2022 attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, or the shooting deaths earlier this year of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband Mark.

▶ Read more about job repercussions related to comments on Kirk’s death

FBI Director Kash Patel and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox are due to hold a news conference on the investigation into the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

They’ll be joined by Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City field office, and Beau Mason, Utah’s public safety commissioner.

The news conference is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.

FBI Director Kash Patel has gone to the scene of Charlie Kirk’s shooting in Utah.

The FBI chief was spotted this evening standing and talking in a circle of others near the canopy tent where Kirk was gunned down Wednesday during an appearance before thousands at Utah Valley University.

The FBI earlier announced a reward offer of up to $100,00 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk’s killing. The agency also released photos of a potential suspect, taken from security cameras in the area, which showed a man wearing sunglasses, a black hat and a black long-sleeve shirt.

The Packers are playing the Washington Commanders Thursday night, one day after Kirk was assassinated.

Before the moment of silence, a public-address announcer delivered an anti-violence message from the NFL.

“The National Football League asks that you please join us in a moment of silent reflection following the murder of Charlie Kirk. The NFL condemns all violence in our communities. It will take all of us to stop hate,” the announcer said.

A tribute to victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks also was held before the game.

When the plane arrived, second lady Usha Vance stepped off with Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika. Both women wore black and sunglasses.

Vice President JD Vance was a few steps behind them, wearing a dark suit.

Supporters nearby waved American flags as the casket was removed from the plane in Arizona, where Kirk lived with his family.

Security experts are questioning the protection provided to Charlie Kirk at the Utah college where he was fatally shot.

An international student from Lima, Peru, who is also part of the student newspaper at Utah Valley University, described his experience of Wednesday’s shooting on campus that killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

The plane carried Kirk’s casket back to his home state of Arizona.

A funeral is being planned, and Trump said earlier in the day that he’s planning to attend.

“Welcome home, Charlie. You didn’t deserve it. May God bless your family,” an unknown voice said on the air traffic control tower frequency after Air Force Two landed.

Vice President JD Vance joined a group of uniformed service members on the tarmac in Salt Lake City.

Tyler Bower, who worked with Kirk at Turning Point, posted a video on social media.

Vance is transporting the casket to Arizona, where Kirk lived with his family, aboard Air Force Two.

The Utah Department of Public Safety released an update Thursday evening. Most of the information had been released by officials earlier in the day.

Officials said earlier they had recovered a high-power, bolt-action rifle near the shooting scene.

Law enforcement was investigating inscriptions on the ammunition, but the update did not provide details as investigators continue to work to identify the shooter and their motive.

Officials say they are continuing “search for any and all potential suspects related to this incident” and are pursuing multiple leads.

The agency asked the public to continue sending tips in, adding that “no tip is too small.”

The Utah Department of Public Safety says the man ignored crime scene tape, entered the secured area and began taking photos of the scene and officers. He fled when agents ordered him to stop and attempted to identify him but other officers apprehended him.

He’s been booked into the county jail for felony obstruction and trespassing.

Trump said Kirk “was an advocate of nonviolence” and said, “That’s the way I’d like to see people respond” to his killing.

The president said he thought progress was being made to find the shooter.

“Hopefully we’ll have him and we will deal with him very appropriately,” Trump said.

Trump says he and Erika Kirk spoke at length on Thursday.

“She’s devastated, she’s absolutely devastated, as you can imagine,” he told reporters at the White House. He didn’t get into the specifics of what they discussed.

Charlie Kirk is also survived by two young children.

Speaking of law enforcement, the president said, “They’re very talented people, let’s see what happens. We hope they can do it soon.”

The president expects it will take place in Arizona, maybe next weekend.

“They’ve asked me to go, and I think have an obligation to be there,” he told reporters as he left the White House for a trip to New York.

Gregory Shaffer, founder of Shaffer Security Group, oversaw Kirk’s personal security detail from 2015 to 2022.

Shaffer said that during that period there were usually around five people in Kirk’s security detail: one beside him on stage, and others covering the front and back. They typically anticipated a close-range threats like someone attempting to climb on stage or throw something at Kirk.

It was not immediately clear if the details reflected the security situation at the event where Kirk was killed as Shaffer Security Group no longer serves Turning Point USA.

“You don’t expect a threat to come from 200 yards away on a college campus,” Shaffer said, adding that 3,000 people was a relatively small event for Kirk.

“We didn’t have enough manpower to put people on the rooftops, we didn’t have the funding to pay for a pair of binoculars that cost $3,000,” Shaffer said about his time working with Kirk. He added that campuses were expected to be a low-risk venue.

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says the messages and calls to the president were from European and Asian leaders expressing condolences about Kirk.

“Charlie was very much a part of this family and maybe the highest profile MAGA person outside of those that are working here,” Wiles said Thursday in an interview on the radio show hosted by Republican strategist Scott Jennings.

“I think it shook everybody to their core,” she added.

Posthumously posting under Kirk’s X handle, the organization he founded remembered Kirk on Thursday as “a leader, a mentor, and a friend.”

The post’s authors also noted that Kirk was “no stranger to threats,” receiving “thousands of them throughout his life.”

Alongside the post appeared a black and white image of Kirk walking onstage at a Turning Point event, with the lights and pyrotechnics that have become the organization’s trademark.

Prior to Thursday’s post, Kirk’s final X message had been several hours before he was shot Wednesday, concerning the stabbing death of a young Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte, North Carolina, commuter train last month.

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Members of law enforcement are pictured at Democratic National Committee headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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Members of the U.S. Capitol Police are pictured outside Democratic National Committee headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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U.S. Capitol Police officers are pictured at Democratic National Committee headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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U.S. Capitol Police officers and Capitol Police K-9 Unit officers are pictured at Democratic National Committee headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

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A bomb threat at the DNC headquarters was determined to be not credible, according to a statement from a DNC spokesperson.

U.S. Capitol Police said after being alerted to the threat, they did not find anything outside of the building. Out of an abundance of caution, they were checking the interior of the building.

“As DNC Chair Ken Martin has said, political violence in every form has no place in our country,” the DNC statement said.

U.S. Capitol Police are responding to a bomb threat at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, according to a person familiar with the incident who requested anonymity because the situation is fluid.

An email sent to Senate offices said that “staff are asked to remain clear of the police activity” and said more information would be forthcoming.

There was no additional information immediately available.

Less than an hour ahead of a planned news conference, the Utah Department of Public Safety called off the 2:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. MT) event, citing “rapid developments in our investigation.”

Authorities said they would release an updated time later Thursday.

A search for the suspect in Kirk’s killing was ongoing and authorities have released images of a person of interest, as well as offered a reward for information and solicited help from the public.

The assassination offers the latest example of how ordinary security measures can be defeated in an era of escalating political violence, when anyone associated with the political process is a potential target, including influencers.

Kirk was in a familiar setting Wednesday before a large crowd at a university in Utah, a red state where voting trends largely aligned with his pro-MAGA politics. The conservative firebrand appeared with his own security team, as he has at scores of events on other campuses.

In hindsight, those with experience protecting high-profile public officials and dignitaries say more could have been done to prevent the fatal shooting.

Security experts interviewed by The Associated Press questioned whether the event was sufficiently staffed but also acknowledged the limitations of both campus police forces and outdoor venues. They said only the inner ring closest to Kirk appeared to be secure, leaving the outer and middle rings exposed.

▶ Read more about security concerns at political events

At 2:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. MT), officials in Utah are planning to give another update in their investigation into Kirk’s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University.

Earlier Thursday, state and federal officials gave details about a potential suspect and said they had video footage of the person. In the hours since, the FBI has released photos of a “person of interest” and a link to an online form where people can upload photos and video that could potentially be helpful to authorities.

The FBI also announced a $100,000 reward in exchange for information leading to identification of the shooter.

• President Donald Trump: Charlie Kirk was “a martyr for truth and freedom“
  
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California: “Political violence has absolutely no place in our nation.”
  
• Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona: “Democratic societies will always have political disagreements, but we must never allow America to become a country that confronts those disagreements with violence.”
  
• Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana: “Please join me in praying for Charlie Kirk after this senseless act.”
  
• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro: “The attack on Charlie Kirk is horrifying and this growing type of unconscionable violence cannot be allowed in our society.”
  
• Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “We should all come together to stand up against any and all forms of political violence.”
  
• Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: “Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era.”

▶ Read more about what other political leaders subject to violence are saying

Elected officials and activists across the political spectrum are canceling their speaking engagements this week, citing concerns of political violence.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the nation’s most prominent progressive voices, has postponed her visit to Raleigh, North Carolina, where she was scheduled to attend a rally with state Democrats on Sunday. She said the cancellation was because of security concerns.

“The scourge of gun violence and political violence must end,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “The shooting of Charlie Kirk is the latest incident of this chaos and it must stop. We cannot go down this road.”

Ben Shapiro, a conservative influencer and political commentator who drew a similar audience to Kirk, canceled a book signing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential and other speaking engagements on his public calendar immediately following the shooting. Shapiro said in a post on X that he was “utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul” to learn of Kirk’s death.

That’s according to a source with knowledge of the planning but not authorized to speak publicly about them.

Vance shuffled his schedule Thursday, nixing plans to attend a Sept. 11 commemoration in New York City and heading instead to Utah, where Kirk, his friend, was assassinated Wednesday.

While in Utah, Vance and his wife, Usha, were to meet with Kirk’s family and close friends, the person with knowledge told the AP.

Afterward, Vance will fly Kirk’s casket and family with him aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Arizona, where Kirk made his home.

Temporary flight restrictions were issued earlier Thursday for both areas, indicated movements of a high-profile person, like Vance.

“We’re just here as a group to say America cannot govern itself this way,” GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said to open a news conference Thursday, flanked by a mix of Democratic and Republican senators.

GOP Sen. Katie Britt said Kirk has influenced many people, including her children.

“Talking through this with them last night is just unthinkable,” said an emotional Britt. “The time for unity, the time for peace, it is now.”

The news conference was to highlight a bipartisan push to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and included Democratic Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar.

Klobuchar highlighted multiple shootings that had happened in her own state of Minnesota this year, including the killing of a top Democratic state lawmaker.

“It has to end. And we have to join together, to condemn it,” Klobuchar said.

The FBI says it’s offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of whoever is responsible for Kirk’s death.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1-800-CALL-FBI. Officials also published the link for a form where people can upload videos and photos.

Earlier Thursday, law enforcement officials disseminated two photos, seeking the public’s help in identifying the “person of interest.”

Dowd had said on-air that Kirk had made incendiary statements, and that “hateful words” can lead to “hateful actions.” Dowd later apologized, saying he in no way meant to imply Kirk was responsible for the attack, but the damage had been done. MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler said the remarks were inappropriate and insensitive.

Meanwhile, a reporter for Floridapolitics.com was suspended for texting a congressman a question about gun control very shortly after Wednesday’s attack. Publisher Peter Schorsch said the timing was inappropriate.

▶ Read more about Dowd’s firing

The once bustling halls and classrooms of Utah Valley University sat silent Thursday, save for some university staff and law enforcement guarding police tape in the hot sun.

Television and newspaper reporters were set up for press conferences in the building just off the shooting site, but police officers guarded most views of the amphitheater, shaped like baseball’s home plate, where Kirk had been speaking and taking questions from an audience of thousands the day before.

The agency released two photos of a ‘person of interest’ in connection with the shooting of Charlie Kirk as investigators appeal to the public for information. The photos show a person wearing a hat, sunglasses and a long sleeve black shirt.

Law enforcement recovered a Mauser .30 caliber bolt-action rifle hidden in a towel in a wooded area near the university campus along what they suspect to be the shooter’s path as they fled the scene, according to information circulated among law enforcement and shared with The Associated Press.

In addition to the spent cartridge recovered in the chamber, three other rounds were loaded in the magazine. The weapon and ammunition are now being forensically analyzed by law enforcement at a federal lab for clues that could help identify the shooter or their motive.

Some attendees who bolted after the gunshot rushed into two classrooms full of students, where the periodic table adorned the wall and formulas were written in blue on the whiteboard. They pulled tables from the center of the room to barricade the door, stacking them atop each other. Others were turned on their side in a corner for a last ditch defense.

Desperate, someone grabbed an electric pencil sharpener and wrapped the cord tightly around the door handle, then tied the sharpener to a chair leg.

Thursday morning, the classrooms were quiet and in disarray. Backpacks and notebooks were left on the desks, some scribbled with notes on electromotive force in green pen and pink highlighter.

The president said he plans to speak with Kirk’s family on Thursday afternoon.

Trump made those remarks in a brief conversation with reporters as he left the Pentagon.

Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Utah Thursday to meet with Kirk’s family in person.

The former Wisconsin governor, now president of the foundation, said his group will continue to hold events on college campuses to attract young people to the Republican Party. But they cancelled a Thursday night event in Santa Barbara featuring conservative commentator Ben Shapiro out of respect for Kirk and his family, Walker said.

“We will review our security measures to ensure the safety of our students, speakers, and staff,” Walker said in a statement on the group’s website. “This will likely mean that we will change venues and security measures for many of our events. But we will not stop. Doing so would mean that the evil assassin who did this wins. He must not win. The best way to honor Charlie’s life is to continue his work.”

The Florida Republican honored Kirk and called for nonviolent political participation as he marked 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks at an event in Palm Harbor on Thursday.

“The viability of a republic really depends on our ability to fight those battles in the proper arena, leading into voting, leading into debate,” DeSantis said. “It is certainly not that you kill somebody in order to silence them.”

Students at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton plan to gather Thursday evening to honor Kirk, holding a memorial service and prayer vigil at the student union on the Palm Beach County campus. “May he rest in Peace,” the FAU Turning Point USA chapter posted on its Instagram account. “Security will be present.”