Authorities recover the rifle used in Charlie Kirk shooting, suspect still at large

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

During a Thursday morning briefing, officials said the weapon used to kill Charlie Kirk, a high-powered bold action rifle, was located in a wooded area near the Utah Valley University Orem campus. Footprints were also discovered in the wooded area.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said there is good video of the suspect and that authorities are "working through some technologies and some ways to identify this individual." He said the shooter appeared to be of "college age" and blended in on the university campus.

FBI agent Robert Bohls said, "I can tell you this was a targeted event.”

Kirk was shot in the neck on Wednesday while speaking to a large crowd of people during his "Prove Me Wrong" debate tour at the university.

Later that day, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Kirk had died. "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us."

Governor Spencer Cox said, "This is a dark day for our state, it's a tragic day for our nation. I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination."

Videos circulating on news outlets including the New York Times, Fox News, and Washington Post, and on social media, appear to show what looks like a person lying down at the edge of a nearby campus building rooftop, a short distance above the courtyard where Kirk was speaking during the time of the shooting. The dark figure then appears to run in the opposite direction and out of view of the cameras.

Kirk’s visit to UVU was part of his “American Comeback Tour.” Utah State University’s chapter of Turning Point USA was scheduled to host Kirk at USU on Sept. 30. USU student Olivia Huff had started an online petition asking the university to cancel Kirk’s visit, which received over 6,800 signatures.

After the news of Kirk’s shooting broke, Huff released a statement emphasizing the importance of uniting around empathy and compassion.

“As someone who strongly disagrees with Charlie Kirk’s rhetoric, I want to be absolutely clear: I would never wish harm on him or his family,” she said. “No one’s life should ever be at risk because of their personal beliefs.”

Kaitlin Griffiths, president of USU’s chapter of Turning Point USA, responded with shock to the news.

“This is a tragic event. I don't know how this can be justified in anybody's eyes — shooting somebody for what they believe, what they say, is just unforgivable,” Griffiths said. “We live in a country with free speech and that should be protected. His family and him are in my prayers, and I would hope that everyone would do the same regardless of political beliefs.”