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Authorities in Utah are continuing a manhunt after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a student gathering at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) confirmed that Kirk, 31, was struck by a single bullet at around 12:20 pm local time while addressing an audience of roughly 3,000 people in the university courtyard. Investigators believe the shooter fired from a rooftop and described the killing as a targeted assassination.
In a press release, DPS said, “Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation.” Officers later confirmed that the shooter was dressed in dark clothing.
Two men were detained in the immediate aftermath but released after questioning. “We initially took in George Zinn as a suspect. He was later released and charged with obstruction by UVU police. A second suspect, Zachariah Qureshi, was taken into custody and released after interrogation with law enforcement,” DPS stated. “There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals. There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter.”
According to the Associated Press, Zinn previously pleaded guilty in 2013 to making terrorist threats after emailing Salt Lake City Marathon organisers about planting bombs at the finish line.
By Wednesday evening, no one remained in custody. A law enforcement official, speaking anonymously to AP, confirmed that investigators were pursuing a new “person of interest.” Officers were seen canvassing nearby neighbourhoods and showing residents a photograph on their phones in an attempt to identify the individual.
The FBI has established a digital tip line and appealed to the public for information. Utah governor Spencer Cox condemned the killing, describing it as a “political assassination.” State DPS commissioner Beau Mason added that evidence suggested Kirk had been the intended target.
Kirk, co-founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital after the shooting but was pronounced dead hours later.
US President Donald Trump, a longtime ally of Kirk, addressed the nation in a video message from the Oval Office following confirmation of his death. He condemned the “demonising” of political opponents and accused what he called the “radical left” of fostering violence. “Radical left political violence has hurt too many innocent people and taken too many lives,” Trump said. “Charlie was a martyr for truth and freedom.”
The President also drew parallels with earlier incidents targeting Republicans, including the 2017 shooting of House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and the killing of a healthcare executive in New York. However, as AP noted, he did not reference the murder of Democratic state legislator Melissa Hortman.
Trump himself has survived two assassination attempts, one of which left him wounded during the 2024 presidential campaign.
Kirk rose to prominence after launching Turning Point USA in 2012 alongside Tea Party activist William Montgomery. Starting in suburban Chicago, the group rapidly expanded across college campuses, advocating for low taxes and limited government. It became a major grassroots ally of Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election, with Kirk even serving as a personal aide on the campaign trail.
