Phoenix, Arizona / Salt Lake City, Utah — Authorities have released chilling new video showing the suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk fleeing across a rooftop moments after the fatal shot was fired at a Utah university.
The grainy footage, unveiled by the FBI and Utah officials on Thursday, captures the alleged gunman sprinting across the roof before leaping over the edge and disappearing into a wooded area. Investigators say the man was dressed in a “distinctive” black T-shirt emblazoned with an American flag and eagle, Converse shoes, a black backpack, sunglasses, and a cap marked with a triangle logo.
A high-powered rifle was later discovered in the nearby woods, believed to have been the weapon used in the shooting. Officials confirm DNA analysis is underway, and prosecutors are already preparing to pursue the death penalty once the suspect is apprehended.
“No suspect is in custody yet, but we believe we have identified a person of interest,” one law enforcement source told reporters. The FBI has announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
7,000 Tips Pour In — Largest Since Boston Bombing
Utah Governor Spencer Cox revealed that more than 7,000 tips have already been submitted by the public — the highest number since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. Over 200 interviews have been conducted, with officials urging Americans to continue sharing videos and photographs from the scene.
But Cox also warned against misinformation flooding social media, blaming Russian and Chinese bots for amplifying conspiracy theories online. “There’s a tremendous amount of disinformation out there. Please, don’t share it,” he pleaded.
Cox vowed justice would be swift. “More than anything, we are going to catch this person. Authorities are gathering the evidence to pursue the death penalty — and that will happen here in Utah,” he said, closing his statement with a call for unity and prayers for the nation.
A Nation in Mourning
While investigators hunted Kirk’s killer in Utah, somber scenes unfolded in Phoenix as the 31-year-old activist’s casket arrived aboard Air Force Two. Vice-President JD Vance accompanied the flag-draped coffin from Salt Lake City, saluting as pallbearers carried it onto the tarmac.
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during a university speaking engagement. Officials say the suspect “appears to be of college age.”
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason urged the public to focus on the enhanced images of the suspect, stressing: “The tips coming in are giving us our next leads. Every detail matters.”
For now, America waits — torn between grief and anger — as the hunt intensifies for the gunman who gunned down one of the conservative movement’s most visible figures.
PIONEER NEWS 