Conservative commentator and Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated and killed on Wednesday as he spoke at Utah Valley University in Orem. He was 31 years old when he was shot in the neck and died in the hospital.
The authorities have opened a large-scale manhunt. The FBI and state authorities released new video and photos of a ‘person of interest’ featuring a man wearing a hat, sunglasses, and a backpack.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox posted a video on Friday of the suspect walking on the roof from which the shot came and subsequently climbing down towards a wooded area where he allegedly dumped his rifle.
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Gov. Cox said that the officials have already conducted 200 interviews, and 20 law enforcement agencies are involved. “Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against the attacker,” he said. The authorities suspect the assassin to be of college age, who mixed with the college students before fleeing into a nearby neighbourhood.
FBI agent Robert Bohls confirmed the recovery of the suspected weapon. I can tell you that we have recovered what we think is the weapon used in yesterday’s shooting.
It is a high-powered bolt-action rifle. That rifle was found in a wooded area where the shooter had run. The FBI laboratory will be examining this weapon,” he stated. Police also took a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints for further examination.
ALSO READ: Mysterious Book on Charlie Kirk Shooting Surfaces a Day Before the Attack
US President Donald Trump honoured Kirk at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in Virginia. “Before we start, let me say the shock and sadness that so many Americans have experienced about the heinous murder of Charlie Kirk,” Trump stated.
He added, “Charlie was a giant of his time, a fighter for freedom and a source of inspiration for millions and millions of people. Our prayers go out to his great wife, Erika, and to his gorgeous kids.”
