Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/The Salt Lake Tribune
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Utah, Crime, US News, Gun Crime
Callum Jones
Topics: Charlie Kirk, Utah, Crime, US News, Gun Crime
Police in Utah have shared a theory as to how the individual who assassinated Charlie Kirk escaped the scene.
The political commentator was assassinated at Utah Valley University on Wednesday (September 10), and the shooter is still at large.
The activist was just 20 minutes into a debate for his Turning Point USA brand when shots were fired.
Kirk was rushed to hospital but later succumbed to his injuries. He is survived by his wife and their two young children.
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Two people had been taken in for questioning, but have since been released as police confirm they have 'no current ties' to the shooting.
In an update issued on Thursday (September 11), officials shared a theory as to how the sniper who fatally shot Kirk escaped the scene.
The killer is believed to have jumped off the roof and fled after firing a single shot from a high-powered rifle, which police have since discovered in a wooded area where it's thought the shooter fled the scene.
The unidentified sniper is believed to have blended in on the campus where Kirk was shot and appeared to be of 'college age', police said on Thursday.
Federal, state and local authorities said they were working on 'multiple active crime scenes' on Thursday (September 11) in the search for the killer.
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
“I want to be very clear, this is a political assassination.”
Utah DPS Commissioner Beau Mason confirmed in today's press conference they have 'good video footage' of the suspect that they're still analyzing.
Mason has also spoken to Kirk's family who are said to be 'devastated' after his death.
"I can only imagine what they're going through," he continued. "This is not Utah. This is not what we are known for."
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It was Donald Trump, an ally of Kirk, who confirmed the far-right commentator had died.
On Truth Social, the president said: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.
"He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence, please find more information and support via Survivors Empowered on their website.