FBI shares photos of person of interest in Kirk shooting
The Salt Lake City FBI field office has shared pictures of a person of interest in the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Two pictures posted on X show a person in black sunglasses, a baseball cap, a long sleeved black shirt and jeans.
The FBI is asking for the public’s help identifying the person in connection with the attack at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Key events
Robert Tait
Tina Smith, the Democratic senator for Minnesota – a state which witnessed political violence less than three months ago – said she was assailed with a horrific sense of deja vu on hearing the news of Charlie Kirk’s murder.
“Honestly, the first thing that came to my mind was a sense of ‘Not again! What’s next?’ and asking myself, ‘How do we arrest this cycle of political violence?’” she said, according to the Washington Post. “It is a human reaction to just turn away in horror when you see these kinds of things happen, but it’s just relentless. I’m almost speechless with despair at how often it’s happening.”
Smith’s sense of history repeating itself was a reference to the killing of Minnesota’s former state House speaker, Melissa Hortman, a Democrat, and her husband, Mark, by a man who came to their house posing as a police officer. The suspect, Vance Boelter, also shot another legislator and his wife. A hitlist containing Smith’s name was later found in his car.
Utah law enforcement suspends press conference citing ‘rapid developments’ in case
The FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) were due to hold a press conference in less than an hour to provide updates on their investigation into the shooting of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk – including the identity and location of his killer.
A spokesperson for DPS says they are now suspending the press conference due to the ‘rapid developments’ in the case. An updated time will be announced later today.
Capitol police respond to ‘incident’ at Democratic National Committee headquarters
We’re getting word that Capitol police are responding to an ‘incident’ at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington DC.
Various media outlets shared a screenshot of the email from the Senate Operations Center which said that there is police activity in the area.
There have been no further details about the incident itself. We’ll bring you the latest lines as we get them.
On Wednesday, Charlie Kirk, an influential rightwing activist and Donald Trump ally, was shot dead at a university campus in Utah. The US president immediately blamed the ‘radical left’ but failed to mention rising violence against Democrats.
On this week’s episode of our Politics Weekly America podcast, Jonathan Freedland speaks to the Guardian’s Washington DC bureau chief, David Smith, about the increase in political violence in the country.
You can listen here:
South Park pulled a rerun of an episode parodying Charlie Kirk following the conservative personality’s killing on Wednesday.
Hours after Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon, Comedy Central apparently pulled a rerun of its season 27 episode “Got A Nut” in which character Eric Cartman adopts the mannerisms of Kirk, according to The Arizona Republic and The Hollywood Reporter. Per the Republic, it was swapped with another episode from its most recent season.
In the episode, Cartman finds himself at odds with classmate Clyde Donovan for “stealing my shtick” before he takes over his right-wing podcast and “masterdebates” those who don’t agree with his views. He eventually adopts Kirk’s real-life hairstyle, argues with women at live debates and falls short of winning the “Charlie Kirk Award for Young Masterdebaters” and a free vacation.
“Now, there’s going to be a lot said about this, but we need to have a good spirit about being made fun of,” Kirk said on 7 August. “This is all a success, this is all a win. We as conservatives, we have thick skin, not thin skin. And you could make fun of us, it doesn’t matter. And until next time, I hope all of you become ‘masterdebaters’ for truth.”
Cy Neff
in Orem, Utah
Koby Herrera, 22 and a Utah Valley University student, attended the rally when Charlie Kirk was shot. Wearing a Make America Great Again hat and a Texas belt buckle, Herrera said that he had followed Kirk online for a decade.
“Ive looked up to him since I was 12, 13, and got into politics,” Herrera said.
Herrera said that his love for Kirk was divisive among his friends and family. Herrera did not point to specific beliefs of Kirk’s that resonated with him, and focused instead on Kirk’s “freedom of speech” and “conviction of Jesus Christ”. Herrera said that for him, and other followers of Kirk, the shooting will likely only further their resolve.
“I think what the assassin did was give Charlie Kirk a bigger platform,” Herrera said. “I think it gave Charlie Kirk a microphone through his grave.”
FBI offers reward for information in Charlie Kirk shooting
The FBI is offering a reward of up to a staggering $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person or people responsible in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
It follows the Salt Lake City FBI field office sharing pictures of a person of interest in the shooting.
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
Anna Betts
Asked about the rumors of engravings on the ammunition and rifle apprehended in the investigation into Kirk’s fatal shooting, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told the Guardian: “ATF cannot comment on this since it is still an active investigation.”
Cy Neff
in Orem, Utah
Campus remained dead silent throughout the sunny Thursday morning, with roads blocked off and law enforcement and media outnumbering civilians. Caution tape blocked off the amphitheater at Utah Valley University where Kirk was shot. His “Prove Me Wrong” pop up canopy tent was still standing, and students personal belongings, from backpacks to water bottles, were strewn throughout the stand, left on the ground mid escape.
In an earlier post, we included a quote from Nancy Mace referring to reporting from the Wall Street Journal that “transgender, anti-fascist things that were engraved in the ammunition and in the rifle that was apprehended” in the investigation into Kirk’s killing.
According to a preliminary internal report circulated inside the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, federal and local officials recovered ammunition with the rifle that appeared to be engraved with statements “expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology”.
But the New York Times reports that “a senior law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation cautioned that report had not been verified by A.T.F. analysts, did not match other summaries of the evidence, and might turn out to have been misread or misinterpreted. In fast-moving investigations, such status reports are not made public because they often contain a mixture of accurate and inaccurate information.”
Three historically black colleges and universities targeted with threats
Three historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been targeted with threats to their campuses.
Virginia State University and Alabama State University have closed their campuses, while Hampton State University has cancelled all classes until 12 September, and advised students living off-campus to enter school grounds.
None of the universities provided further details of the threats in their statements.
Nancy Mace says she won’t hold any outside events in wake of Kirk shooting
On the steps of the Capitol today, Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace, a vocal conservative and Trump ally from South Carolina, said that she “will not be doing any outdoor events anytime soon”.
“I don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat, any elected official across the country, if you are vocal, your life is at risk,” Mace added.
The representative said “the left owns what happened” to Kirk, shortly after he was shot and killed at campus event on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters today Mace said that she was “deeply concerned” for her safety.
“You guys in the press call me the most transphobic member of congress. Turns out, there were transgender, anti-fascist things that were engraved in the ammunition and in the rifle that was apprehended,” she added, referring to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, which cites an internal law-enforcement bulletin and a person familiar with the ongoing investigation.
FBI shares photos of person of interest in Kirk shooting
The Salt Lake City FBI field office has shared pictures of a person of interest in the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Two pictures posted on X show a person in black sunglasses, a baseball cap, a long sleeved black shirt and jeans.
The FBI is asking for the public’s help identifying the person in connection with the attack at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.
Tess Owen
Within hours of Charlie Kirk being shot dead at a college event in Utah, he’d been turned into a far-right martyr in the US’s raging culture war. Many prominent rightwing voices and influencers quickly characterized his murder, in no uncertain terms, as an act of war from the left – and have vowed to respond in kind.
“We have to have steely resolve,” said conservative political strategist Steve Bannon on his show War Room. “Charlie Kirk is a casualty of war. We are at war in this country. We are.”
Even as the suspect – and any information about their motivations or political leanings – remained at large and unknown, incendiary rhetoric from major political commentators spread rapidly online, blaming leftist violence for Kirk’s death. Many called for swift retribution in the form of an aggressive crackdown against their political enemies.
“If they won’t leave us in peace, then our choice is to fight or die,” wrote Elon Musk on X.
“They are at war with us, whether we want to accept it or not. What are we gonna do about it?” Fox News host Jesse Watters said on air Wednesday night. “Everybody’s accountable… the politicians, the media, and all these rats out there. This can never happen again. It ends now. This is a turning point and we know which direction we’re going.”
“We are up against demonic forces from the pit of Hell,” wrote commentator and podcaster Matt Walsh on X. “This is existential. A fight for our own existence and the existence of our country.”
While all three living former presidents released statements addressing Kirk’s death, condemning political violence while calling for calm, introspection and civility, Donald Trump put out a video statement Wednesday night saying that rhetoric from “the radical left” was “directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today”.
Trump to speak with Kirk’s family today
Speaking to reporters after his remarks at the Pentagon today, Donald Trump confirmed that he would speak to Charlie Kirk’s family “later this afternoon”.
“You don’t replace a Charlie Kirk. He was unique,” the president added.
State department vows to ‘take action’ against ‘foreigners’ they deem to be praising Charlie Kirk’s assasination
In a post on X, the deputy secretary of state Chris Landau has said that he’s directed consular officials to “undertake appropriate action” against any “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred”.
He added that he’s “been disgusted to see some on social media praising, rationalizing, or making light” of Kirk’s assassination.
Notably, Landau said consular officials would also be monitoring his post to crowd source submissions from users who see posts that aren’t in line with the department’s views.
Top Trump adviser calls for ‘defeat of this wicked ideology’ following Kirk shooting
Stephen Miller, the president’s deputy chief of staff, has said there is “an ideology at war with family and nature”, following the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The shooter remains at large, and has not been identified.
Regardless, Miller insinuated that the killer subscribed to “an ideology that looks upon the perfect family with bitter rage while embracing the serial criminal with tender warmth”.
He added that “the fate of millions depends upon the defeat of this wicked ideology”.
Anna Betts
Following his tribute to Kirk, Trump shifted his remarks at the Pentagon to the events of 9/11.
“That terrible morning, 24 years ago, time itself stood still,” Trump said. “The laughter of school children fell silent, the rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt, and for 2,977 innocent souls and their families, their entire world came crashing down.”
“Today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget September 11, 2001,” Trump said, before reading some of the final words exchanged by passengers aboard the hijacked airplanes that day to their loved ones.
“In America, we take blows, but we never buckle, we bleed, but we do not bow, and we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hunch and stronger, prouder and greater than ever before” Trump said.
“Last year, we were a dead country” Trump said, adding that “now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world.”
He also referenced his decision to rename the Department of Defense the Department of War.
“If you attack the United States of America, we will hunt you down, and we will find you” Trump said. “We will crush you without mercy, and we will triumph without question, that’s why we named the former Department of Defense the Department of War.”
“Everybody wanted it” Trump added. “Everybody is so happy to have it back.”
Thursday’s observance ceremony at the Pentagon commemorated the 184 lives lost when the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon.