A manhunt still without results, two suspects arrested and released, the"signature" bullets. The murder of Charlie Kirk still does not have a face even if the investigators believe they have traced the movements of the killer inside the university campus of Utah, where the leader of the young MAGAs was killed while giving a conference: a shot fired by a sniper, from the top of a building not far away, killed him, hitting him in the neck. The alleged murder weapon, a high-powered bolt-action rifle, was also found in a wooded area near the university. And, according to the Wall Street Journal, the ammunition was apparently engraved with transgender and anti-fascist ideology.
The clues: from the footprint to the bullets
Investigators also have some other possible clues in hand:"A shoe print and a palm print of a hand" that could belong to the killer. Photos of the man suspected of being Kirk's killer have been released by the FBI: the man is apparently tall, wearing a cap and glasses, a pair of jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt with an American flag and an eagle."We are carefully examining the reports, this morning we have received more than 130," it was explained. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has pointed the finger at the rhetoric of the"radical left" , blaming them for the death of the right-wing activist. The tycoon declared himself"full of grief and anger" over the assassination on the university campus."Charlie inspired millions of people, and all who knew and loved him are united in shock and horror. This is a dark moment for America," he said in a video filmed in the Oval Office, announcing flags at half-mast for the murder of the MAGA youth leader.
The fugitive killer and the"good" videos
With the suspects already released, investigators have used surveillance cameras to track the killer's movements on the university campus until he climbed onto the roof of the building from where he fired. He then climbed down and fled. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and Utah State agents. Authorities have claimed to have"good video" of the suspect and are asking for the cooperation of anyone with useful information. Several police sources have claimed that the killer is of"college age" and therefore "blended in well" on campus.
The manhunt began at midnight Italian time. Within hours, authorities arrested and released two suspects. According to a joint statement from the FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety, cited by CNN, neither suspect has any connection to the shooting. One person, George Zinn, has been charged with obstructing university police. No information has been released on the reasons for the arrest of the other suspect. Authorities believe the crime was committed by a single person, dressed in dark clothing.
Around 2 a.m. (Italian time), FBI Director Kash Patel announced the release of the second suspect, after being questioned by law enforcement:"Our investigation continues, and we will continue to release information in the interest of transparency," Patel wrote on X. Utah Governor Spencer Cox, in a press conference, declared that the first person to be arrested at the scene, Zinn, was not believed to be the shooter, but was charged with obstruction of justice.
Ammunition “engraved” with anti-fascist slogans
As the hours passed, further investigative details emerged. The Wall Street Journal, citing an internal law enforcement bulletin and a person familiar with the investigation, claims that the ammunition found inside and near the rifle used to kill Kirk was engraved with expressions of transgender and anti-fascist ideology. Online, some Osint channels also shared photos of the alleged weapon, a Mauser.30-06 caliber rifle, typically used for hunting ungulates. It was found in the woods near the site of yesterday's shooting at Utah Valley University, wrapped in a towel with a shell still in the chamber, sources said. In the magazine there were also three unfired rounds, all with writing.
The dynamics of the murder and the controversy over security
Charlie Kirk was speaking at a Turning Point USA panel on campus when authorities say the shooter fired from a rooftop. Utah Valley, the state's largest public university with 47,000 students, is located about 40 miles south of the state capital, Salt Lake City. The shooter fired a single shot, according to Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety. Kirk was shot while answering a question about mass shootings. After being shot, he was transported to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he died. Governor Cox called the killing a"political assassination." According to Jeff Long, the University of Utah police chief, Kirk had a private security service. “This,” he explained, “is a campus with 40,000 students. There were 3,000 people at the event, and we were trained for this situation as well.” Long said there were only six officers at the event, including some plainclothes officers in the crowd. Kirk’s speech took place “in a sort of bowl-shaped area here on the central campus,” he said. “We have an area with a waterfall, so he was in a lower area, surrounded by buildings.”
