The Latest: FBI releases photos of a person of interest in Kirk assassination

Investigators circulated two images of the person and appealed for tips to help solve the shooting of Charlie Kirk a conservative activist and close ally of President Donald Trump who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters The unidentified suspect is concluded to have jumped off a roof and fled into a neighborhood after firing one shot executives explained Thursday A high-powered bolt-action rifle they believe was used in the attack was recovered and video recordings of the person they believe was responsible are being reviewed Kirk s assassination renews attention to escalating threats of political violence in the United States that cut across the ideological spectrum His killing is drawing bipartisan condemnation but a national reckoning over approaches to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence appears elusive The Latest The FBI chief is at the shooting scene in Utah this evening FBI Director Kash Patel has gone to the scene of Charlie Kirk s shooting in Utah The FBI chief was spotted this evening standing and talking in a circle of others near the canopy tent where Kirk was gunned down Wednesday during an appearance before thousands at Utah Valley University The FBI earlier reported a reward offer of up to for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person responsible for Kirk s killing The agency also disclosed photos of a anticipated suspect taken from defense cameras in the area which established a man wearing sunglasses a black hat and a black long-sleeve shirt Green Bay Packers hold moment of silence for Kirk The Packers are playing the Washington Commanders Thursday night one day after Kirk was assassinated Before the moment of silence a public-address announcer delivered an anti-violence message from the NFL The National Football League asks that you please join us in a moment of silent reflection following the murder of Charlie Kirk The NFL condemns all violence in our communities It will take all of us to stop hate the announcer announced A tribute to sufferers of the Sept attacks also was held before the meeting Supporters wave American flags as Kirk s widow initiatives off Air Force Two in Arizona When the plane arrived second lady Usha Vance stepped off with Charlie Kirk s widow Erika Both women wore black and sunglasses Vice President JD Vance was a limited attempts behind them wearing a dark suit Supporters nearby waved American flags as the casket was removed from the plane in Arizona where Kirk lived with his family Air Force Two touches down in Phoenix The plane carried Kirk s casket back to his home state of Arizona A funeral is being planned and Trump explained earlier in the day that he s planning to attend Welcome home Charlie You didn t deserve it May God bless your family an unknown voice disclosed on the air traffic control tower frequency after Air Force Two landed Vance helps carry Kirk s casket Vice President JD Vance joined a group of uniformed amenity members on the tarmac in Salt Lake City Tyler Bower who worked with Kirk at Turning Point posted a video on social media Vance is transporting the casket to Arizona where Kirk lived with his family aboard Air Force Two Law enforcement executives say they have received over populace tips in shooting assessment The Utah Department of Populace Safety disclosed an update Thursday evening Majority of the information had been distributed by bureaucrats earlier in the day Administrators disclosed earlier they had recovered a high-power bolt-action rifle near the shooting scene Law enforcement was scrutinizing inscriptions on the ammunition but the update did not provide details as investigators continue to work to identify the shooter and their motive Representatives say they are continuing search for any and all possible subjects related to this case and are pursuing multiple leads The agency requested the population to continue sending tips in adding that no tip is too small Law enforcement arrests person unrelated to Kirk shooting at crime scene The Utah Department of Inhabitants Safety says the man ignored crime scene tape entered the secured area and began taking photos of the scene and officers He fled when agents ordered him to stop and attempted to identify him but other officers apprehended him He s been booked into the county jail for felony obstruction and trespassing Trump says he hopes people will not respond with violence to Kirk s killing Trump commented Kirk was an advocate of nonviolence and stated That s the way I d like to see people respond to his killing The president noted he thought progress was being made to find the shooter Hopefully we ll have him and we will deal with him very appropriately Trump explained Trump describes having a long conversation with Kirk s widow Trump says he and Erika Kirk spoke at length on Thursday She s devastated she s absolutely devastated as you can imagine he narrated reporters at the White House He didn t get into the specifics of what they discussed Charlie Kirk is also survived by two young children Trump describes having a long conversation with Kirk s widow Trump says he and Erika Kirk spoke at length on Thursday She s devastated she s absolutely devastated as you can imagine he narrated reporters at the White House He didn t get into the specifics of what they discussed Charlie Kirk is also survived by two young children Trump says they re making great strides on finding Kirk s assassin Speaking of law enforcement the president mentioned They re very talented people let s see what happens We hope they can do it soon Trump plans to attend Kirk s funeral The president expects it will take place in Arizona maybe next weekend They ve urged me to go and I think have an obligation to be there he informed reporters as he left the White House for a trip to New York Founder of group that used to direct Kirk s safeguard says it typically anticipated close-range threats Gregory Shaffer founder of Shaffer Assurance Group oversaw Kirk s personal safety detail from to Shaffer stated that during that period there were usually around five people in Kirk s assurance detail one beside him on stage and others covering the front and back They typically anticipated a close-range threats like someone attempting to climb on stage or throw something at Kirk It was not right away clear if the details reflected the shield situation at the event where Kirk was killed as Shaffer Safeguard Group no longer serves Turning Point USA You don t expect a threat to come from yards away on a college campus Shaffer stated adding that people was a relatively small event for Kirk We didn t have enough manpower to put people on the rooftops we didn t have the funding to pay for a pair of binoculars that cost Shaffer declared about his time working with Kirk He added that campuses were expected to be a low-risk venue Wiles says Trump received texts and phone calls Wednesday night from foreign leaders on Kirk White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says the messages and calls to the president were from European and Asian leaders expressing condolences about Kirk Charlie was very much a part of this family and maybe the highest profile MAGA person outside of those that are working here Wiles commented Thursday in an interview on the radio show hosted by Republican strategist Scott Jennings I think it shook everybody to their core she added On Kirk s X account Turning Point says group crushed and devastated Posthumously posting under Kirk s X handle the organization he founded remembered Kirk on Thursday as a leader a mentor and a friend The post s authors also noted that Kirk was no stranger to threats receiving thousands of them throughout his life Alongside the post appeared a black and white image of Kirk walking onstage at a Turning Point event with the lights and pyrotechnics that have become the organization s trademark Prior to Thursday s post Kirk s final X message had been several hours before he was shot Wednesday concerning the stabbing death of a young Ukrainian refugee on a Charlotte North Carolina commuter train last month Bomb threat at DNC headquarters not credible party spokesperson says A bomb threat at the DNC headquarters was determined to be not credible according to a comment from a DNC spokesperson U S Capitol Police reported after being alerted to the threat they did not find anything outside of the building Out of an abundance of caution they were checking the interior of the building As DNC Chair Ken Martin has explained political violence in every form has no place in our country the DNC report stated Police respond to bomb threat at Democratic National Committee headquarters U S Capitol Police are responding to a bomb threat at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington according to a person familiar with the case who requested anonymity because the situation is fluid An email sent to Senate offices mentioned that staff are solicited to remain clear of the police activity and mentioned more information would be forthcoming There was no additional information this instant available Mary Clare Jalonick Utah police delay Kirk circumstance update due to rapid developments Less than an hour ahead of a planned news conference the Utah Department of Society Safety called off the p m ET p m MT event citing rapid developments in our study Personnel mentioned they would release an updated time later Thursday A search for the suspect in Kirk s killing was ongoing and leadership have circulated images of a person of interest as well as offered a reward for information and solicited help from the society Charlie Kirk s shooting death exposes prevention gaps at political events The assassination offers the latest example of how ordinary safety measures can be defeated in an era of escalating political violence when anyone associated with the political process is a anticipated target including influencers Kirk was in a familiar setting Wednesday before a large crowd at a university in Utah a red state where voting trends largely aligned with his pro-MAGA politics The conservative firebrand appeared with his own defense squad as he has at scores of events on other campuses In hindsight those with experience protecting high-profile population executives and dignitaries say more could have been done to prevent the fatal shooting Safety experts interviewed by The Associated Press questioned whether the event was sufficiently staffed but also acknowledged the limitations of both campus police forces and outdoor venues They commented only the inner ring closest to Kirk appeared to be secure leaving the outer and middle rings exposed Read more about guard concerns at political events Law enforcement to give update on Kirk shooting At p m ET p m MT executives in Utah are planning to give another update in their review into Kirk s fatal shooting at Utah Valley University Earlier Thursday state and federal authorities gave details about a expected suspect and announced they had video footage of the person In the hours since the FBI has published photos of a person of interest and a link to an online form where people can upload photos and video that could potentially be helpful to bureaucrats The FBI also released a reward in exchange for information leading to identification of the shooter Here s what various other leaders who ve experienced political violence are saying Read more about what other political leaders subject to violence are saying Politicians cancel general appearances after shooting Elected leaders and activists across the political spectrum are canceling their speaking engagements this week citing concerns of political violence Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez one of the nation s the bulk prominent progressive voices has postponed her visit to Raleigh North Carolina where she was scheduled to attend a rally with state Democrats on Sunday She declared the cancellation was because of shield concerns The scourge of gun violence and political violence must end Ocasio-Cortez reported The shooting of Charlie Kirk is the latest circumstance of this chaos and it must stop We cannot go down this road Ben Shapiro a conservative influencer and political commentator who drew a similar audience to Kirk canceled a book signing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential and other speaking engagements on his inhabitants calendar instantly following the shooting Shapiro mentioned in a post on X that he was utterly stunned and heartbroken and sick to my soul to learn of Kirk s death Vance to fly Kirk s casket and family from Utah to Arizona aboard Air Force Two That s according to a source with knowledge of the planning but not authorized to speak publicly about them Vance shuffled his schedule Thursday nixing plans to attend a Sept commemoration in New York City and heading instead to Utah where Kirk his friend was assassinated Wednesday While in Utah Vance and his wife Usha were to meet with Kirk s family and close friends the person with knowledge stated the AP Afterward Vance will fly Kirk s casket and family with him aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Arizona where Kirk made his home Temporary flight restrictions were issued earlier Thursday for both areas indicated movements of a high-profile person like Vance Michelle L Price and Meg Kinnard Bipartisan group of senators condemns Charlie Kirk killing We re just here as a group to say America cannot govern itself this way GOP Sen Lindsey Graham explained to open a news conference Thursday flanked by a mix of Democratic and Republican senators GOP Sen Katie Britt noted Kirk has influenced countless people including her children Talking through this with them last night is just unthinkable noted an emotional Britt The time for unity the time for peace it is now The news conference was to highlight a bipartisan push to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and included Democratic Sens Richard Blumenthal and Amy Klobuchar Klobuchar highlighted multiple shootings that had happened in her own state of Minnesota this year including the killing of a top Democratic state lawmaker It has to end And we have to join together to condemn it Klobuchar mentioned FBI offering K reward for information on Charlie Kirk shooting The FBI says it s offering a reward of up to for information leading to the identification and arrest of whoever is responsible for Kirk s death Anyone with information is required to call - -CALL-FBI Leaders also published the link for a form where people can upload videos and photos Earlier Thursday law enforcement agents disseminated two photos seeking the population s help in identifying the person of interest Analyst Matthew Dowd loses MSNBC job following Charlie Kirk commentary Dowd had reported on-air that Kirk had made incendiary statements and that hateful words can lead to hateful actions Dowd later apologized saying he in no way meant to imply Kirk was responsible for the attack but the damage had been done MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler stated the remarks were inappropriate and insensitive Meanwhile a reporter for Floridapolitics com was suspended for texting a congressman a question about gun control very shortly after Wednesday s attack Publisher Peter Schorsch declared the timing was inappropriate Read more about Dowd s firing The campus is silent as investigators hunt for a shooter The once bustling halls and classrooms of Utah Valley University sat silent Thursday save for certain university staff and law enforcement guarding police tape in the hot sun Television and newspaper reporters were set up for press conferences in the building just off the shooting site but police officers guarded most of views of the amphitheater shaped like baseball s home plate where Kirk had been speaking and taking questions from an audience of thousands the day before The FBI has disclosed photos of a person of interest The agency issued two photos of a person of interest in connection with the shooting of Charlie Kirk as investigators appeal to the citizens for information The photos show a person wearing a hat sunglasses and a long sleeve black shirt Rifle and ammunition being checked for clues Law enforcement recovered a Mauser caliber bolt-action rifle hidden in a towel in a wooded area near the university campus along what they suspect to be the shooter s path as they fled the scene according to information circulated among law enforcement and shared with The Associated Press In addition to the spent cartridge recovered in the chamber three other rounds were loaded in the magazine The weapon and ammunition are now being forensically analyzed by law enforcement at a federal lab for clues that could help identify the shooter or their motive Utah campus classrooms show how students prepared for a shooter Selected attendees who bolted after the gunshot rushed into two classrooms full of students where the periodic table adorned the wall and formulas were written in blue on the whiteboard They pulled tables from the center of the room to barricade the door stacking them atop each other Others were turned on their side in a corner for a last ditch defense Desperate someone grabbed an electric pencil sharpener and wrapped the cord tightly around the door handle then tied the sharpener to a chair leg Thursday morning the classrooms were quiet and in disarray Backpacks and notebooks were left on the desks particular scribbled with notes on electromotive force in green pen and pink highlighter Trump to speak with Kirk s family later Thursday The president disclosed he plans to speak with Kirk s family on Thursday afternoon and Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Utah Thursday to meet with Kirk s family in person They have a virtual manhunt out there So we ll see what happens Trump explained in a brief exchange with reporters shortly after attending the a memorial ceremony at the Pentagon We hope we get em Scott Walker says Young America s Foundation won t stop holding events The former Wisconsin governor now president of the foundation announced his group will continue to hold events on college campuses to attract young people to the Republican Party But they cancelled a Thursday night event in Santa Barbara featuring conservative commentator Ben Shapiro out of respect for Kirk and his family Walker reported We will review our safeguard measures to ensure the safety of our students speakers and staff Walker noted in a report on the group s website This will likely mean that we will change venues and defense measures for a great number of of our events But we will not stop Doing so would mean that the evil assassin who did this wins He must not win The best way to honor Charlie s life is to continue his work Gov Ron DeSantis political violence threatens what America s all about The Florida Republican honored Kirk and called for nonviolent political participation as he marked years since the Sept attacks at an event in Palm Harbor on Thursday The viability of a republic really depends on our ability to fight those battles in the proper arena leading into voting leading into debate DeSantis announced It is certainly not that you kill somebody in order to silence them Students at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton plan to gather Thursday evening to honor Kirk holding a memorial arrangement and prayer vigil at the scholar union on the Palm Beach County campus May he rest in Peace the FAU Turning Point USA chapter posted on its Instagram account Defense will be present Utah senator Mike Lee says Kirk s death hits home The Republican stated the death of his friend hits particularly hard Lee explained he talked with his fellow conservative very regularly sometimes several times a day Their last text exchange was a short time before Kirk s death Lee mentioned at a hearing Thursday of the Senate Potency and Natural Guidance Committee Lee is the panel s chairman Lee explained the shooting also hits home particularly heavy with me because Utah Valley University is just a scant miles from where he grew up and near where he now lives He s attended events there since he was a teenager And this is a safe place Not the kind of place where you expect something like this to happen It s truly tragic Openly carrying a long gun can be legal on college campuses in Utah Utah is one of states that allow several level of concealed carry of firearms on populace college and university campuses The other include Arkansas Georgia Idaho Kansas Minnesota Mississippi Montana South Dakota Tennessee Texas West Virginia Wisconsin and Wyoming The remaining states allow colleges and universities to keep concealed firearms off campus according to the anti-violence organization Everytown for Gun Safety In May after action by the Utah legislature a law took affect that allows anyone at least years old with a valid Utah concealed weapon permit to carry a weapon on campus including in an open fashion Prior to the passage and the signing of H B the firearm had to have been concealed US warns visa applicants against cheering Kirk s assassination The State Department is warning foreign visa applicants and holders that they could be denied a U S visa or deported if they praise or make light of Kirk s assassination In an unique post to X Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau reported he s personally disgusted by chosen posts he s seen and that consular functionaries have been directed to undertake appropriate action In light of the day prior s horrific assassination of a leading political figure I want to underscore that foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country Landau revealed He urged social media users to copy him on any posts they see that could be relevant Earlier this year Landau declared that he had revoked visas for British punk-rap performer Bob Vylan and his crew after they led crowds in chanting death to the Israeli military Chuck Schumer calls political violence enemy of democracy The Senate Democratic leader called for the condemnation of political violence following Kirk s heinous murder He also sought on the Senate floor for prayers for Kirk s family There should be no finger pointing because this is an attack on our democracy itself Schumer disclosed Saying the attack on Kirk was heinous cowardly and would make everyone sick to their stomachs Schumer also decried the shooting that wounded current House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and the politically motivated murders of Minnesota state Rep Melissa Hortman and her husband this year Schumer also mentioned a shooting at a suburban Denver high school on Wednesday in which two students were reportedly injured Investigators analyzing a palm print other evidence Investigators are confident they will find the shooter noted Utah Department of Citizens Safety Commissioner Beau Mason They now have images of a suspect and were analyzing a palm print and a shoe impression located near the scene he announced Officials aren t planning to release images of the suspect unless they need the populace s help Mason explained Two other people initially detained turned out to be uninvolved and were published Unfortunately they ve been getting death threats Mason explained They don t deserve that Morning scenes after Kirk assassination Thursday morning the canopy tent Kirk was shot under stood disheveled in the morning light still stamped with the words PROVE ME WRONG a slogan commonly used at Kirk s events Beyond it the amphitheater seats were strewn with bags and belongings left in the attendees mad rush to escape Investigators picked through the scene snapping photos and carrying boxes as they ducked back and forth under crime tape callers describe achievable suspect after Kirk shooting A batch of traffic disclosed Thursday from the Utah County Department of General Safety via Broadcastify includes callers describing seeing a person on campus wearing jeans black shirt black mask and carrying a long rifle Another caller mentions a black vest During a news conference on Thursday law enforcement personnel announced they had obtained video footage of a suspected shooter and had recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle from the wooded area where the suspect fled Executives also mentioned the shooter appeared to be of college age and blended in with students on the campus Pete Hegseth pays tribute to Kirk at remembrance The Pentagon chief who spoke before Trump at Thursday s Pentagon ceremony remembered the conservative activist as an American patriot Charlie we love you Hegseth announced Know that you have heard the Lord s words Well done good and faithful servant Full heart clear eyes like those on you will never be forgotten Congressional Democratic leaders call for unity after Kirk shooting At the U S Capitol on Thursday Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer declared all Americans should come together and feel and mourn what happened House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries noted this was a moment for Americans to unite not as Democrats or Republicans as Blacks or Whites or Latinos or Asians but as Americans We need to come together as Americans The leaders spoke to reporters after a bicameral Democratic legislative meeting Pentagon ceremony moved inside its walls The Pentagon s observance ceremony which has traditionally been held near the building s memorial outside its walls was moved into the internal courtyard late Wednesday night Defense executives acknowledged the move at the event featuring Trump but deferred questions to the White House It came hours after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at an outdoor event at a Utah university The White House did not promptly respond to a request for comment Trump says he will award Kirk Presidential Medal of Freedom During remarks at the Pentagon Trump explained he would posthumously award Kirk with the honor at a later date The United States highest civilian honor the Presidential Medal of Freedom is awarded by presidents to people who have made essential contributions in a variety of areas including values and populace organization In his first term Trump bestowed the honor to a number of people including conservative firebrand commentator Rush Limbaugh Speaker Johnson says congressional safety is being reviewed House Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned Thursday that assurance is a big concern for members of Congress and is under a very thorough review But Johnson advised reporters at the U S Capitol that he had seen protection estimates into the billions of dollars for all House members which he commented is not a possibility He did mention a pilot venture through which members can be reimbursed for hiring private safeguard when they re on the road or in their districts Somebody who s arguing the other side of an issue is not your enemy they re your fellow American Johnson disclosed in a call for civility We re all made in God s image and so we need to see one another that way and not as enemies FBI calls Kirk shooting targeted event The person who fatally shot Kirk is inferred to have targeted him at an event on a Utah college campus reported Robert Bohls the FBI Special Agent in Charge at the Salt Lake City field office The shooter is still on the run and it isn t clear how far the suspect may have gotten but the nearby woods have been secured functionaries explained Government say Kirk suspect appears to be of college age Law enforcement agents noted the suspect they are seeking appears to be of college age and blended in with students on the college campus Executives demanded the constituents to share any video and images they may have to help identify the person Officers declared they have video footage of the suspected shooter but did not confirm that includes images of the person s face A murder weapon has been recovered officials say A high powered bolt-action rifle was identified in a wooded area where the shooter fled announced FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls reported Functionaries say suspected Kirk shooter arrived on campus just before noon Utah Department of Inhabitants Safety Commissioner Beau Mason revealed agents tracked the suspected shooter s movements after he jumped from a building moved through stairwells and ultimately fled from campus into a neighborhood We do have good video of this individual Mason revealed Kirk leaves a legacy The -year-old activist personified the pugnacious populist conservatism that has taken over the Republican Party in the age of Trump An unabashed Christian conservative who often made provocative statements about gender race and politics Kirk launched his organization Turning Point USA in targeting younger people and venturing onto liberal-leaning college campuses where a large number of GOP activists were nervous to tread Searching for the shooter Federal state and local agents are still searching for an unidentified shooter and working what they called multiple functioning crime scenes Two people were detained Wednesday but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting and both were published Utah society safety leaders reported Government did not right now identify a motive The Utah Department of Masses Safety says its commissioner as well as the FBI special agent in charge will speak to reporters at a m ET on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem The news conference will be streamed on the department s Instagram page Trump declares Kirk a martyr In a video message from the Oval Office late Wednesday Trump called Kirk a martyr for truth and freedom and condemned the demonizing of political opponents in the U S even as he claimed the rhetoric of the radical left was directly responsible for the assassination of Kirk The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation The assassination has drawn bipartisan condemnation but a national reckoning over techniques to prevent political grievances from manifesting as deadly violence seemed elusive Vance is expected to meet with Kirk s family in Salt Lake City Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha are set to visit with Kirk s family on Thursday in Salt Lake City According to a person familiar with Vance s plans but not authorized to speak about them publicly the Vances will visit Utah instead of New York which had been their planned destination for an outdoor ceremony to commemorate Sept Source