Authorities investigating the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University have recovered a bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the attack. WSJ and The New York Post citing sources stated that ammunition in the rifle was engraved with pro-transgender and anti-fascist messages.
The rifle, identified as an imported .30-06-caliber Mauser bolt-action, was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the university campus shortly after Kirk was shot on September 10. Investigators found three unfired rounds in the magazine.
Authorities continue to investigate the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in broad daylight at Utah Valley University (UVU) on September 10. Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump and founder of Turning Point USA, was 31. He was shot once in the neck while speaking at a campus event titled “Prove Me Wrong”, prompting chaos among the audience.
Authorities described the shooter as college-aged and noted that he blended in on campus prior to the attack. Security footage shows the individual ascending stairwells to access a roof before firing at Kirk and fleeing into a nearby neighborhood.
Ongoing investigation
Authorities continue to appeal to the public for information. The FBI has circulated grainy images of a “person of interest”: an individual wearing a black top, black sunglasses, and a dark baseball cap. Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI.
Two people initially detained were released after officials determined they were not connected to the shooting. Officials say they have tracked the shooter’s movements on campus leading up to the attack.
Incident details
The attack occurred in the Sorensen Center courtyard during a Turning Point USA event. Witnesses recorded video showing Kirk answering questions on gun violence when a shot rang out. Spectators screamed and fled in panic as Kirk was struck.
President Trump called the attack a “heinous assassination”, announcing he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.