Police Release Video Showing Kirk Shooting Suspect Fleeing Scene
BBC News
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The FBI and officials release a new video showing the shooting suspect fleeing the scene of the crime – running across the roof, dropping over the edge, before entering a wooded area
They are highlighting several "distinctive" identifying features like a black T-shirt with an American flag and Converse shoes
Police say they are also conducting DNA examinations of the scene of the crime so that prosecutors can pursue the death penalty for the suspect
No suspect is in custody, but sources say police have got the name of that "person of interest" – the FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information
A high-powered rifle was found in woods near the shooting
Kirk, an ally of President Trump, was shot at a Utah university – officials said the suspect "appears to be of college age"
We now have police audio shortly after the shooting – while our Verify team has looked for clues in the pictures released by the FBI
Edited by Stuart Lau and Yvette Tan, with Nada Tawfik, Regan Morris and Christal Hayes at Utah Valley University
Earlier we mentioned that authorities have released a new video of the suspect fleeing the scene.
Here's a look at what we saw:
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Watch: Officials release new video of Kirk shooting suspect fleeing the scene
It was a short press conference in the end – lasting only about 10 minutes. Officials didn't take any questions from attending journalists and FBI Director Kash Patel did not speak at the press conference.
Here's a summary of the main developments:
Governor Cox says that there is "a lot of forensic evidence that is being processed right now" in both state and federal labs.
"More than anything, we are going to catch this person," he adds.
Authorities are gathering all the evidence needed to "pursue the death penalty in this case", he says. "That will happen here in the state of Utah."
He ends his speech – and the press conference – by thanking the public for their prayers.
"I know we are feeling those prayers, I know the Kirk family is feeling those prayers as well," he says. "We pray that God will bless our nation at this very dark time."
Governor Cox said there is a "tremendous" amount of misinformation circulating online and urged people not to share it further.
In reference to Kirk, Cox said: "I think Charlie said it best, that when things get bad we should put our phones down and spend time with our families."
"Our adversaries want violence,” Cox added, claiming that Russian and Chinese bots on social media are playing a role in spreading false information.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox continues by saying that they cannot do their job without the support of the public.
So far, more than 7,000 leads and tips have been submitted by the public – the largest number the FBI has received on an incident since the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013, says Cox.
He adds more than 200 interviews have so far been completed – and encourages the public to continue to send any photo or video information to the FBI.
Mason is now describing "enhanced" still photographs of the suspect, asking people to pay attention to his "distinctive" T-shirt, black backpack and cap with a triangle logo.
"We just ask for the public's cooperation. Through the public, the tips that have been coming in … are giving us our next leads and enabling us to continue to further this investigation," he said.
The video opens with a frame of the building from which the shot that killed Kirk was fired.
A figure dressed in black is seen running across the roof to a corner of the building, where they climb over the edge and drop to the grass beneath, before walking to a nearby road and crossing it to enter a “wooded area”.
Authorities say the suspect was wearing sunglasses, Converse shoes and a “distinctive” black T-shirt with an American flag and an eagle.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox begins the press conference by saying that they will share a video of the suspect, as well as explaining still images that have already been released.
He adds that they are showing this information to "get help from the public" to find the "evil human being".
FBI Director Kash Patel and other officials are due to appear for a press conference shortly.
Stay with us as we bring you the latest – and you can view it by clicking the Watch Live button at the top of this page.
While we're waiting for the FBI press conference to begin shortly – which you can view by clicking the Watch Live button at the top of this page – we can show you photos of Charlie Kirk's casket being offloaded Air Force Two in Phoenix, Arizona.
As we reported a short while ago, Vice-President JD Vance was also onboard the roughly one-hour flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Phoenix.
US Vice-President JD Vance and his wife Usha accompanied Charlie Kirk's widow Erika on Air Force Two
BBC's Nada Tawfik has been reporting from Utah Valley University, where Charlie Kirk was shot dead.
Here's her latest report from the campus. Have a watch:
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FBI Director Kash Patel will hold a news conference at 19:30 local time in Utah (02:30 BST), in just over 30 minutes.
The press conference will also be attended by FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls, Utah Governor Spencer Cox and Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason.
Stay with us as we bring you the key developments.
Utah Public Safety has just released more photos of the "person of interest" in connection with the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.
We can now show you these images:
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason has spoken to the media about the suspect's movement before and aftr fatally shooting Kirk.
In an interview with NBC News, external Mason says it was easy for the suspected shooter to access the roof of a Utah Valley University building and open fire.
The building, Mason says, had open pathways and lacked locked doors.
Mason says the suspected shooter was tracked on security footage moving across campus to the roof.
The suspected shooter jumped from the roof down to a grassy area, out through a parking lot and fled into the woods after the shooting, he says.
Mason adds that the single shot that killed Kirk was fired from a distance of 175 yards – which is considered an "average shot" for a skilled rifleman, but that "it doesn’t necessarily require an expertise".
Mason previously said that the suspect blended in easily on the campus and appeared "to be of college age".
Earlier, BBC's US media partner CBS News reported that officials have said they know the name of the suspected shooter but have not yet released it.
White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles says Kirk "was very much" part of the family, and so his death "shook everyone to their core".
In an interview on The Scott Jennings Radio Show, she called Wednesday a "roller-coaster", during which they thought good news would follow the bad, but it didn't so it was "very rough".
She said that for many of them, it brought back memories of the assassination attempt that Trump endured on 13 July, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania.
"And then today is 9/11, so it's sort of a one-two punch," she added.
Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in front of hundreds of young people, many of whom recording on their phones at the time. Moments later, videos of his assassination could be seen on social media.
TikTok says it is working to avoid those videos circulating across users' feeds.
"We remain committed to proactively enforcing our community guidelines and have implemented additional safeguards to prevent people from unexpectedly viewing footage that violates our rules," TikTok's spokesperson Jamie Favazza says in a statement.
Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna says the video-sharing platform has told her "they will be removing the horrific videos of Charlie Kirk’s final moments".
We can now bring you some photos of Air Force Two – the vice-president's aircraft – departing Utah for Arizona, external carrying the body of Charlie Kirk.
As we reported earlier, US Vice-President JD Vance is also onboard the flight to Phoenix.
Tyler Bowyer, who was chief operating officer of Turning Point USA, which Kirk founded, posted a video of Kirk's casket arriving at the airport on social media.
"Thank you for bringing our hero home," he wrote, tagging Vance. "We are so grateful for you."
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Since news of Charlie Kirk's death was announced, members of the Trump family – including the president and his sons Don Jr and Eric – have spoken fondly about the close personal ties they had with him.
Matt Dallek, a professor at George Washington University, tells the BBC that the relationship between Kirk and the Trump family was “really important” to his broader influence in both terms.
“Trump prizes loyalty above maybe anything else,” he says. “And if Don Jr is saying he was like a brother to him, that suggests just how great a supporter Kirk was.”
According to Dallek, Kirk remained loyal even during the fallout of the 6 January 2021 riots at the US Capitol, when some other conservative figures turned critical of Trump.
“At Trump’s lowest point, Kirk was there backing him,” says Dallek. “They had a maximalist bond.”
Charlie Kirk spoke at the Turning Point USA Student Action Summit in 2022
As we've reported, Trump is heading to New York.
He's set to attend the Yankees-Tigers game in the city, the White House has confirmed.
Because of Trump's presence, the US Secret Service has alerted fans about heightened security.
The agency is also advising fans to arrive early and "consider leaving your bags at home to help speed up the security screening process".
On Wednesday, the Yankees held a moment of silence for Charlie Kirk at their home game, with an image of Kirk displayed on the stadium's large screen.
Two US officials and a law enforcement source say they believe they have identified the name of a "person of interest", according to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
CBS adds that no arrest warrant has been issued yet.
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