Twelve hours since the gruesome murder of Charlie Kirk, right-wing commentator and top ally of US President Donald Trump, the FBI is still groping in the dark as to who shot the Turning Point USA founder. The investigation is currently being led by the Utah Department of Public Safety with the aid of the FBI.
Just after Kirk took a bullet to his neck, law enforcement quickly launched a manhunt for the suspect. Armed agents were seen combing through the university campus on foot and in trucks. Soon after, FBI director Kash Patel rushed to announce that a “subject for the horrific shooting” was taken into custody. An hour-and-a-half later, Patel stated that the “subject has been released after interrogation”. “Our investigation continues, and we will continue to release information in the interest of transparency,” he wrote. The FBI is now soliciting tips from the public.
The Utah police also created confusion during the press conference, contradicting Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s statement that a “person of interest” was in custody. The Utah police were sticking to the stance that the manhunt was still active even when the “suspect was in custody”.
Utah Valley University police chief Jeff Long acknowledged that they failed to keep Kirk safe. Long said six officers were working security at the Turning Point USA event, which was attended by roughly 3,000 people. Kirk also had his own security team. “You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today, we didn’t,” Long said, adding that “because of that, we have this tragic incident.”
The Utah DPS seems to be confused as to where the shooter might have hidden. Though initially they claimed the shooter fired from the top of a building about 200 yards from the courtyard where Kirk was speaking, now they say multiple scenes are being evaluated by crime scene investigators.
"These were identified based on where the victim was shot, as well as the locations where the suspect and victim traveled," DPS said.