J.D. Vance to reportedly escort body of Charlie Kirk to Phoenix; 'person of interest' photos released by FBI
U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance is reportedly set to escort the body of Charlie Kirk from Salt Lake City to Phoenix, as photos of a “person of interest” in Kirk’s assassination circulate online.
Salt Lake City FBI, the agency that released the photos, said it was asking for the public’s help to identify the man, shown wearing a black baseball cap and sunglasses.
The political influencer, 31, was fatally shot at an event on Wednesday at approximately 12:20 p.m. MT at Utah Valley University, according to officials . He was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In an audio clip from Utah County Public Safety recorded on Sept. 10 between 1:10 p.m. MT and 1:40 p.m. MT, a suspect is described as “wearing all black, black long gun, black tactical helmet, a black mask, possibly wearing a tactical vest and jeans.”
It was recorded via Broadcastify, a platform for streaming live audio for public safety, aircraft, rail, and marine related communications, and obtained by CNN .
J.D. Vance to escort Charlie Kirk’s body to Arizona: report
U.S. Vice-President J.D. Vance, who was a close friend of Kirk, is expected to escort the 31-year-old’s body to Phoenix, AZ, on Thursday, Politico and CNN reported.
A source told Politico that Kirk’s wife Erika, as well as some family members and close friends, are to join Vance and his wife on Air Force Two from Salt Lake City to the Arizona city where Kirk lived.
In a post on X, Vance outlined his friendship with Kirk and how they connected around 2017, after Kirk sent him a direct message on social media.
“Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind,” wrote Vance. “With Charlie, the attitude was never, ‘I told you so.’ But: ‘welcome.'”
Vance called him a “great family man” who “loved God.”
Transgender, fascist message on ammunition: source
Ammunition used to assassinate Charlie Kirk was engraved with transgender and antifascist messages, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.
The publication said the information came from a source familiar with the investigation and a law enforcement bulletin. The ammunition with “expressions” espousing transgender and antifascist ideologies was found inside the rifle.
At a news conference on Thursday, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bowles said authorities are in possession of a high-powered, bolt-action rifle. It was located in a wooded area where the suspect had fled, he said.
The FBI will be analyzing the weapon, as well as a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints.
FBI offers $100,000 reward
In a post on X on Thursday, the FBI said it would be offering a reward of up to US$100,000 for “information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for the murder…”
The FBI 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 on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Contact 1-800-CALL-FBI and submit photos and…
— FBI (@FBI) September 11, 2025
Also on Thursday, MSNBC host Matthew Dowd was no longer employed by the news agency and has since posted an apology for remarks about the Kirk shooting.
He was asked to describe “the environment in which a shooting like this happens.” He said that the details of the shooting were still unclear but called Kirk “divisive” and said he “pushed hate speech.”
“I always go back to hateful thoughts lead to hateful words, which then lead to hateful actions,” he said.
He later posted on X to clarify what he said.
“I in no way intended for my comments to blame Kirk for this horrendous attack. Let us all come together and condemn violence of any kind,” he wrote.
In another post, he apologized for his “tone and words.” He said his thoughts and prayers were with Kirk’s family and friends.
My thoughts & prayers are w/ the family and friends of Charlie Kirk. On an earlier appearance on MSNBC I was asked a question on the environment we are in. I apologize for my tone and words.
— Matthew Dowd (@matthewjdowd) September 11, 2025
The scene is ‘horrific’
An official described the aftermath of the shooting at the university, calling it “horrific.”
The suspect “blended in well with a college institution,” Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said, adding that authorities have “good video footage of this person” and he “appears to be of college age.”
The video would not be released at this time, he said.
“We were able to track the movements of the shooter,” Mason said. “Starting at 11:52 a.m., the subject arrived … shortly away from campus. We have tracked his movements onto the campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof to a shooting location.”
After the shooting, Mason said the suspect jumped off the roof and fled.
Authorities are combing through video surveillance from the campus and neighbourhoods nearby.
Mason said he went to scene and walked “through the hallways of the school, through the classrooms.” He said he couldn’t imagine how the people felt when the “horrific” shooting happened.
He said some people had been “barricaded in classrooms” while others “ran in fear.”
Two suspects released from custody
“Shortly after the shooting, we did have a suspect in custody…but he was released from custody after we identified that he did not match the shooting suspect and was not an accurate person of interest,” said Mason at a news conference on Wednesday.
The man identified as George Zinn was charged with obstruction of justice, but no further details were released. He was described by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill as odd but overall harmless, “more of a gadfly,” the Salt Lake Tribune reported . His criminal history dates back to the 1980s.
In a news release , authorities said a second suspect “was taken into custody and released after interrogation with law enforcement.”
Both of those suspects have “no current ties to the shooting.”
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed Mason’s message, in a post on X. He confirmed that a person in custody had since been released after interrogation. “Our investigation continues,” he said.
The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency https://t.co/YXsG6YpFR5
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 10, 2025
A Canadian man had been accused of being a suspect on social media amid the chaos following the murder, the New York Times reported.
The man, 77-year-old Michael Mallinson, was in Toronto at the time of the shooting. He told the publication he was “shocked” when he found out that posts online with his photo alleged that he was Kirk’s killer.
The Orem Police Department, the authorities in the city where the university is located, shared a link to an FBI digital tip line, where witnesses or anyone with information can share it with authorities.
How it unfolded
On Wednesday, Kirk was kicking off his tour, which involves him going to university campuses across the United States to host debates with students about issues ranging from gun control to abortions and religion. It was called The American Comeback Tour , and the university in Orem, UT was his first stop.
Hours before the shooting, a video posted to his TikTok account showed a massive crowd of cheering students and attendees with Kirk sitting at a table with a microphone in hand. Authorities said the event was attended by 3,000 people.
“The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack,” according to authorities. “The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard.”
The university’s police department had six officers at the event. Kirk also had his own security detail.
Speaking at the news conference Wednesday, Mason said that only one shot was fired by the suspect and Kirk was the only victim.
‘Truth teller,’ ‘loved and admired by all’
There has been an outpouring of support from politicians and celebrities for Kirk, a husband and father of two young children.
U.S. President Donald Trump called Kirk “legendary” in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday at 4:40 p.m. ET.
“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,” he said, adding that his and First Lady Melania’s sympathies “go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family.”
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and his wife Anaida both posted on X, condemning Kirk’s murder.
“We must all strongly denounce the shooting Charlie Kirk,” he wrote. “Political violence is NEVER justified. The attacker must be brought to justice. And free speech must be upheld.”
We must all strongly denounce the shooting of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is NEVER justified. The attacker must be brought to justice. And free speech must be upheld.
— Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre) September 10, 2025
Pray for Mr. Kirk and his family.
“I cannot fathom the pain of his family or the thought of this happening to anyone else,” wrote Anaida on Wednesday.
Carney posted on X about Kirk’s murder just before 10 p.m.
“I am appalled by the murder of Charlie Kirk. There is no justification for political violence and every act of it threatens democracy. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and loved ones,” wrote the prime minister.
Kamala Harris also posted about Kirk’s death, saying she was “deeply disturbed.”
“Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family,” she wrote on X. “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.”
I am deeply disturbed by the shooting in Utah. Doug and I send our prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family.
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 10, 2025
Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we all must work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence.
Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. posted about his “dear friend” Kirk, calling him the “most eloquent truth teller.” Kirk was the “country’s relentless and courageous crusader for free speech.”
Once again, a bullet has silenced the most eloquent truth teller of an era. My dear friend Charlie Kirk was our country's relentless and courageous crusader for free speech. We pray for Erika and the children. Charlie is already in paradise with the angels. We ask his prayers for… pic.twitter.com/ReOdkT6VbV
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 10, 2025
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said on X that Kirk was “one of a kind.”
“His view that our political, social, and spiritual differences should be debated freely and respectfully was something he put into practice every day — a living embodiment of the vision our founders had for our country,” she wrote.
Political commentator Candice Owens, an ally of Kirk, posted messages on X, telling people to pray for him and also saying she couldn’t process what had happened.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Kirk a “lion-hearted friend of Israel” who “fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization,” in a post on X .
“I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place,” he said.
The official Israel X account also posted about Kirk , saying he was a “steadfast friend of Israel.”
Actor Chris Pratt posted online, saying “we need God’s grace” and “God help us.”
Praying for Charlie Kirk right now, for his wife and young children, for our country. We need God’s grace. God help us.
— Chris Pratt (@prattprattpratt) September 10, 2025
“This is wrong on every level,” comedian Rosie O’Donnel wrote on Instagram . Late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who has been a vocal critic of Trump and his policies, also took to Instagram to post a message.
“Instead of the angry finger-pointing, can we just for one day agree that it is horrible and monstrous to shoot another human? On behalf of my family, we send love to the Kirks and to all the children, parents and innocents who fall victim to senseless gun violence,” he wrote.
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