Here’s what you need to know this evening
Charlie Kirk, the MAGA stalwart and Donald Trump ally, died on Wednesday at the age of 31, after being shot in the neck at a college event in Utah. As authorities hunt for a suspect, here’s what you need to know this morning:
- A day later, a manhunt for the shooter is ongoing and a precise motive is still unclear
- Trump said Kirk’s killer was “a total animal” and vowed justice
- Kirk’s body has arrived back home in Phoenix, Arizona, and his widow Erika was accompanied by Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance on Air Force Two
- The FBI released photos of a “person of interest” which showed a man wearing a hat, sunglasses and a dark colored shirt that appeared to have an image of the American flag on it
- Officials believe the shooter to be around “college age,” and arrived on campus around 11:52 a.m., before jumping off a nearby rooftop after the shooting and making his escape into a neighborhood
- Detectives found a “high-powered bolt-action rifle” in a wooded area near to where Kirk was shot, which they believed was used to kill him, as well as ammunition which was reportedly engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology
- Investigators also “collected a footwear impression, palm print and forearm imprints for analysis”
- At a 9/11 commemoration event Thursday morning Trump announced Kirk would posthumously receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian honor the Commander in Chief can bestow
Mike Bedigan, Rhian Lubin11 September 2025 09:56
Watch: Trump shares update on hunt for ‘animal’ who killed Charlie Kirk
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 04:00
Governor warns of bots from Russia and China ‘trying to encourage violence’
Utah Governor Spencer Cox also warned of bots from Russia and China, that were “trying to encourage violence” on social media.
“What we’re seeing is our adversaries want violence. We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world, that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those.”
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 03:24
WATCH: New footage shows suspect casually leaving the crime scene
Utah’s public safety commissioner Beau Mason showed a new video at tonight’s media briefing.
It showed the suspect on the roof of the college building after the shot was fired.
The suspect goes to the edge of the building and scales down the side, before jumping to the ground.
The person is then seen breaking into a run across the grass by the parking lot, before slowing to a walk.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 03:19
Cox: ‘We are going to catch this person’
Cox says that authorities will catch Kirk’s killer.
“More than anything, we are going to catch this person,” the governor said.
He added that authorities have been working with attorneys “getting everything they need ready” so that they can pursue the death penalty.
“That will happen here in the state of Utah,” said a defiant Cox.
The briefing has concluded.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 03:03
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox – ‘We need as much help as we can possibly get’
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said that law enforcement needs “as much help as we can possibly get” in tracking down Charlie Kirk’s killer as the manhunt continues.
Cox praised the public for sending in tips and urged them to continue to do so.
The governor also told reporters that officials at today’s briefing will not be taking any questions.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 02:59
Utah officials share a video of the suspect climbing down from the roof after shooting
Utah’s public safety commissioner Beau Mason is sharing a video of the suspect scaling down from the roof of the college building after the shooting, before running away.
The suspect runs across the grass, through a parking lot, and moves over into a wooded area.
They are showing the images released earlier.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 02:56
Press conference about to begin
The delayed press conference is about to begin, we’re told.
We’ll bring you the updates as they come in.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 02:50
In pictures: People attend a vigil for Kirk at Orem City Center Park
People attended a vigil for Charlie Kirk this evening at Orem City Center Park where they paid their respects to the MAGA figure.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 02:35
Press conference to begin imminently
We’re waiting for law enforcement officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, to provide an update on the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s killer.
The suspect has not yet been identified and remains at large more than 24 hours after the murder.
Patel will join Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge at the Salt Lake City field office, and Beau Mason, Utah’s public safety commissioner.
The news conference is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time on the campus of Utah Valley University in Orem.
Stay with us for the latest developments.
Rhian Lubin12 September 2025 02:25
