by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News September 11, 2025
Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event on Wednesday at Utah Valley University. He was 31.
The FBI’s local field office on Thursday morning said a “bolt-action, high-powered rifle” was recovered in a wooded area near an area where Kirk’s assassin fled.
The FBI also has “good video footage of this individual” and the bureau has “tracked his movements,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls in a news conference.
Law enforcement officials said the suspect they are seeking “appears to be of college age” and “blended in” with students on the college campus.
“Investigators have collected footwear impression, a palmprint and forearm imprints for analysis,” the special agent in charge said. He did not provide any color about the assassin’s motive.
The Wall Street Journal confirmed an initial report by Steven Crowder that the “older-model .30 caliber hunting rifle” believed to have been used in the assassination contained “ammunition engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology inside the rifle.”
Crowder wrote in a post to X:
EXCLUSIVE: This morning my team received an e-mail from officer at ATF.
The email included a screen shot from what appears to be an internal message describing a weapon and cartridges located by an ATF and other law enforcement near the scene of the Charlie Kirk shooting at Utah Valley State University.
“On September 10, 2025, at approximately 12:24PM, Conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. Mr. Kirk was speaking at the University as part of the American Comeback Tour. Multiple SLC I and III agents responded immediately. 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. 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. An emergency trace has been submitted an ATF SLC is working leads generated by the trace. The firearm and ammunition have been taken by the FBI for DNA analysis and fingerprint impressions. Upon completion of forensics, the firearm will be disassembled for additional importer information. Multiple people of interest having contacted or detained because of eyewitness testimony and review of video footage. The primary suspect is yet to be identified. ATF is assisting the investigation with multiple other federal, state, and local partners and the case is co-led by the FBI and Utah SBI.”
The Utah man who was arrested in the immediate aftermath of the shooting is a well-known “gadfly,” according to the Salt Lake County District Attorney.
Following the shooting, the Utah Department of Public Safety said they “initially took in George Zinn as a suspect,” before “He was later released and charged with obstruction by UVU police.”
“There are no current ties to the shooting” with Zinn or another man who was arrested and released, the Utah DPS also said. “There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter.”
Zinn, 71, has been seen at various political speeches and protests throughout the years, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
In a video of Zinn with officers after the shooting, one uniformed officer is heard saying, “He said he shot him, but I don’t know.”
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill says his office has prosecuted Zinn numerous times and that he has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s.
“He’s a person who can be odd, and has those kinds of sometimes odd behavior challenges,” Gill said, “but by and large, he’s more of a gadfly than anything else.”
President Donald Trump wrote in a post to Truth Social:
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Donald Trump, Jr. posted the following tribute:
This isn’t my strong suit and I don’t even know how to begin to put into words the loss I am feeling right now over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie wasn’t just a friend — he was like a little brother to me — and to millions of people around the world — he was a true inspiration.
He was one of the most courageous, principled men I’ve ever known, and he lived every day with purpose. His faith in God was unshakable, his love for Erika was inspiring, and the way he adored and cared for his two beautiful kids showed the kind of man he truly was.
Charlie dedicated his life to something bigger than himself. He fought tirelessly for this country, for the values that make America great, and for the next generation. The impact he had on young people — reaching them in masses, giving them courage to stand up, to think for themselves, and to fight for freedom — is immeasurable. There is no question that Charlie’s work and his voice helped my father win the presidency. He changed the direction of this nation.
Charlie was never a threat to anyone. He was civil, he was kind, he listened and responded with respect. The only “threat” he ever posed was that he was incredibly effective. He was a powerful messenger of truth, and people heard that truth. That’s what made him a target.
This loss is absolutely devastating — not only for Erika and the kids, but for our country. We’ve lost a leader, a fighter, and a man whose character and conviction were rare. Too rare. To think that his life was cut short by a brutal, heinous, evil act is beyond comprehension. It is horrible and it is heartbreaking.
Moments like this remind us just how fragile life is. We can’t wait to tell people how much they mean to us — we can’t admire them in silence. Charlie knew he was loved, but I want to say it again: he was a brother to me, and I will carry that with me forever.
I know Charlie’s legacy doesn’t end here. He poured into millions of young people who will carry forward the torch he lit. He built something that will outlast him, because it was grounded in faith, in truth, and in courage. And as his friend, I will never forget him. I’ll honor him by loving boldly, speaking truth without fear, and continuing his spirit of courage. His fight lives on in all of us who loved him.
FBI recovers ‘high-powered rifle,’ has ‘good video footage’ of Charlie Kirk assassin added by Editor Two on
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