The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassin, and has released photos of a “person of interest” in the case.
As well, The Wall Street Journal has confirmed earlier reporting that the rifle used in the murder contained ammunition engraved with “transgender” ideological statements.
The Turning Point USA founder was murdered yesterday during a speaking event in Utah. Vice President J.D. Vance is set to fly Kirk’s body home to Arizona this evening on Air Force 2, Fox News disclosed today.
The FBI offered the reward after the bureau’s Salt Lake City office published photos of a “person of interest” on X.
The individual is wearing shades and is attired in jeans, a dark hat, and a dark shirt emblazoned with an American flag and an eagle. X users claim the shirt says “land of the free” and “home of the brave.”
The bureau also set up a tips webpage for those who can provide information about the crime.
As The New American reported earlier today, investigators found a high-powered rifle in a wooded area near the crime scene. Podcaster Steven Crowder posted an email from an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) source that revealed the messaging on the ammo.
“The suspect fired one shot from an elevated position on a rooftop in an adjacent building on the campus and surveillance video shows the suspect jumping off and fleeing the area on foot,” the ATF email says:
ATF and other law-enforcement located an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus. The location of the firearm appears to match the suspects route of travel. The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology.
The Journal confirmed that report:
Investigators found ammunition engraved with expressions of “transgender and anti-fascist ideology” inside the rifle that authorities believe was used in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, according to an internal law-enforcement bulletin and a person familiar with the investigation….
An older-model .30 caliber hunting rifle was discovered in the woods near the scene of Wednesday’s shooting at Utah Valley University, wrapped in a towel with a spent cartridge still in the chamber. There were also three unspent rounds in the magazine, all with wording on them.
As well, Beau Mason, head of Utah Public Safety, disclosed that authorities know that the shooter arrived at the scene at 11:52 a.m. They tracked him across campus, into a stairwell, and onto the roof from which the shots were fired.
After that, Mason said, the shooter exited the roof and fled to a nearby neighborhood.
Vice President J.D. Vance was close friends with Kirk. He explained how they became friends and how Kirk helped launch Vance’s successful political career.
“Charlie was one of the first people I called when I thought about running for Senate in early 2021,” Vance wrote on X:
We talked through everything, from the strategy to the fundraising to the grassroots of the movement he knew so well. He introduced me to some of the people who would run my campaign and also to Donald Trump Jr.
Kirk also helped Vance navigate the avalanche of publicity that affected the future vice president’s family, Vance explained.
Tonight, Fox reported, Vance will escort his friend’s body home to Arizona.
Kirk, 31, was husband to his wife, Erika, and the father of two children.
That doesn’t matter to the hate-Kirk voices on social media that have celebrated his death.
School teachers, health professionals, and government employees have let loose a tsunami of hate that Kirk fans are curating and forwarding to schools, employers, and government officials.
Wildly popular podcaster Joe Rogan was speaking with guest Charlie Sheen live when Kirk was murdered. He predicted that crackpot leftists would celebrate.
“There’s going to be a lot of people celebrating this,” Rogan said:
It’s so scary. It’s so dangerous too, to celebrate or to in any way encourage this kind of behavior. … He’s not a violent guy. He’s talking, talking to people on college campuses. … He tried to be pretty reasonable with people.
“Everything I saw seemed reasonable,” Sheen replied.
“He’s a very intelligent guy, you know, whether you agree with him or don’t,” Rogan continued:
And there’s a lot of stuff that I didn’t agree with him on. That’s fine. You’re allowed to disagree with people without celebrating the fact they got shot.
“But you can’t disrespect his passion,” Sheen said.
“Well, what you’re supposed to do with a guy like that if you’re opposing him is debate him,” Rogan observed. “Have a conversation where your argument is more compelling than his.”
“Do some homework and bring it to the table,” Sheen said.
Said Rogan:
No one deserves this, folks. No one that has different opinions — no one deserves that. This is horrible. But I know people are going to celebrate it.
He was right.