The FBI has announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the gunman responsible for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed on the campus of Utah Valley University.
According to investigators, a high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the attack was recovered in a wooded area near the campus, where the suspect reportedly fled after the shooting. Surveillance footage shows the shooter, described as a young man dressed in a hat, black sunglasses, and a long-sleeve T-shirt with a partial American flag print, moving through stairwells before firing from a rooftop onto an event attended by about 3,000 people.
Authorities say the suspect escaped into a nearby neighborhood, and the search for him remains ongoing. The FBI has also released grainy images of the individual they are calling a “person of interest.”
The incident has left the Utah Valley University community shaken. The campus, which has more than 40,000 students, has been closed until next week as law enforcement continues investigations. Police have urged calm, stressing that the attack appears to be isolated and that there is no broader threat to public safety.
Eyewitnesses have described scenes of chaos as attendees fled the shooting. Elliott Thorne, who was present with his wife and young child, recounted the terror of shielding his infant during the gunfire. “No father should have to dive on their 16-month-old at a university, wondering if they’re going to get shot,” he said, adding that he hopes the tragedy prompts Americans to unite against political violence.
FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to visit Utah as the investigation intensifies.