New audio of the first responder audio after Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at an event on Wednesday raises a number of questions about the response — and how the shooter was able to get away.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed during the question-and-answer portion of a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University. In the immediate aftermath of the assassination, a portion of the audio on the Utah County police scanner reveals that first responders had a good idea of who they were looking for.
The audio, published by a reporter with the Washington Examiner and other outlets, indicates that on the live feed in the immediate aftermath of the Kirk shooting, it was clear that authorities were looking for a shooter with a “long rifle” and a specific outfit.
As dispatchers responded to the shooting, they said that there was “report of one individual that was shot, unknown where the shooter went.”
“Be advised, [Utah Valley University] at Orem has had an active shooter at the Charlie Kirk event,” the same individual said. “We’re getting several calls. We’re trying to get more information … We’re just trying to get units that way.”
Another officer told a unit “do not respond … at this point. There is law enforcement on scene.”
There seemed to be a fair amount of confusion on the feed.
At one point, the question is asked regarding how many injured there were at the scene.
“Just one person,” said the responder.
Audio of the moment Utah County police dispatchers responded to the Charlie Kirk shooting: pic.twitter.com/nZhQpbB3He
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 10, 2025
In the second snippet of audio, responders give a description of the suspect:
Utah County police scanner appears to provide the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect’s description:
“Just east of the library. He’s wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle.” pic.twitter.com/p2eoYHkFoe
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) September 10, 2025
“Just east of the library. He’s wearing jeans, black shirt, black mask, long rifle,” the officer said.
Another officer seemed to indicate that a “blue Honda Odyssey” with no plates was a vehicle of interest.
“UVU, there was one shot,” another responder said. “We are staging at the front of the school by the roundabout.”
Yet another said of the suspected shooter: “[inaudible] on top of the building, on the far north side, just east of the library, wearing jeans, black shirt, black vest.”
As of early Thursday morning Eastern Time, no suspect has been arrested. Two individuals have been taken into custody, including one at the scene, and subsequently released.
Kirk would subsequently die at the hospital from his wounds.
Two questions raise themselves immediately. First, why wasn’t the individual captured if the police had such a clear description of who he was? Second, if the answer to that was that they were able to evade capture by highly trained law enforcement, was this some sort of professional hit job, not just a lone wolf assassin?
The latter point is something to consider, especially since former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan, appearing on Fox News, seemed to indicate that this wasn’t just an average psychopath looking to make a political statement:
????BREAKING: Former FBI Agent Stuart Kaplan says Charlie Kirk’s Assassination was a “PROFESSIONAL HIT” ????
“This was a very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before. This individual had a plan of escape… this assassination is indicative of a… pic.twitter.com/cEDIbFZHne
— Jesse Watters (@JesseBWatters) September 11, 2025
“This was a very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before. This individual had a plan of escape,” Kaplan told Jesse Watters. “This assassination is indicative of a professional hit.”
At this hour, obviously, we don’t know much about who killed Charlie Kirk. What is emerging is a grim picture: either that of missed opportunities, or of a well-orchestrated conspiracy that likely isn’t going to stop here if authorities do not or cannot effectively intervene.
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