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The FBI and Utah’s police released a new video late Thursday depicting a person of interest fleeing the scene after the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk.
Officials are requesting public assistance in capturing the person responsible for fatally shooting Kirk, 31, as he spoke at a university event in Utah on Wednesday.
“Tips from the public are providing us with our next leads,” stated Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason, as authorities continue their intense search for the gunman that has been ongoing since Wednesday.
The recently released footage shows a person wearing sunglasses, Converse shoes, and a long-sleeve black shirt with an American flag and eagle running across a roof before jumping off the edge of the building and landing on the ground.
The suspect then crosses a busy street into a wooded area, where police found a high-powered rifle believed to be the weapon used to shoot Kirk.
On Thursday, the FBI shared two additional photos of the person of interest wearing the same clothing. Utah Public Safety has also released further images of the suspect wearing a backpack and descending a stairwell.
The suspect blended in seamlessly with the campus, Mason noted, and “appeared to be of college age.”
Mason acknowledged that law enforcement has “no idea” if the person of interest remains in the state of Utah or has left the area. “We’re exploring leads for individuals out of state and those living nearby,” he said.
Alongside the rifle, authorities have discovered imprints of a forearm, a palm, and a shoe, as well as forensic evidence including potential fingerprints and DNA collected from the edge of the building the gunman jumped from.
Police have received over 7,000 leads and tips so far — the largest number submitted since the 2013 Boston marathon bombing.
The FBI announced Thursday that it is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information “leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder of Charlie Kirk.”
Utah’s Governor, Spencer Cox, declared that prosecutors will pursue the death penalty once the suspect is apprehended.
Kirk was shot in broad daylight as he answered a question about gun violence from a courtyard at Utah Valley University. The event was launching “The American Comeback Tour,” a planned series of college appearances.
His assassination has drawn widespread condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, and reignited concerns over the growing threat of political violence in the US.
The incident has also prompted an outpouring of grief, including from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his concern for the country in the wake of the attack and vowed to track down the perpetrator.
