Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative political activist and Trump supporter, was shot in the neck with a single shot during a debate Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Authorities confirmed at a news conference today that the shooter, who is believed to be a student, was shooting from a rooftop. Investigators now have video that appears to show the shooter, Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said. The footage will not be released at this time. “We are using technology and identification methods,” Mason said. “If we are not successful, we will reach out to the media and the public for assistance with identification. But at this time, we are confident in our abilities,” he added.
Reward for information
The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the shooter, Reuters reported. Investigators also released photos of a man wearing a black sweatshirt with an American flag print who they are looking for in connection with the murder.
The FBI is offering $100,000 for anyone with information on this person of interest.
— Liberty Chai (@LibertyChai_) September 11, 2025
The reward is for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons responsible for Kirk's death. The FBI also released several images of the man it is seeking in connection with the murder. The photos show a man wearing a black sweatshirt with an American flag, a black baseball cap and dark sunglasses. Investigators suspect the man who shot Kirk.
FBI Agent Robert Bohls said the shooter is believed to be male and that a gun, shoe prints, a palm print and a forearm print were recovered. The FBI is also investigating all public reports related to the case, which it has received about 130 so far, Bohls said.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing its sources, wrote that the attacker used ammunition engraved with transgender and anti-fascist slogans. The rifle he used had three unfired rounds in the magazine, all of which, according to the newspaper, had the aforementioned ideological slogans. The WSJ said of the weapon that it was an older model of a .30 caliber hunting rifle that was wrapped in a towel. The cartridge remained in the chamber after the shot, the newspaper noted.
Kirk, a father of two young children, was a powerful Trump ally and co-founder of the nonprofit group Turning Point USA, the nation's largest conservative youth organization. Kirk and Turning Point USA played a key role in rallying young people to Trump's presidential bid in November. Trump called his death a political assassination and ordered flags on government buildings to be flown at half-staff until Sunday in his honor. Kirk will be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Past recipients of the award include South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela, former Pope John Paul II, and former Czech and Slovak president Vaclav Havel.
Trump plans to speak to Kirk's family later today. He also said investigators have updated him on the manhunt."There's literally a manhunt going on. We'll see what happens," he said, adding that he hopes police catch the shooter."But you can't replace Charlie Kirk. He was one of a kind," he added.
