Who shot Charlie Kirk? What we know

WASHINGTON — The subject detained as a person of interest in the fatal shooting of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was released from custody, FBI Director Kash Patel said. The investigation is ongoing. 

President Donald Trump confirmed that Kirk, 31, died after he was shot at an event on the Utah Valley University campus Monday. 

A man taken into custody immediately after Kirk was shot was eventually determined not to be the shooting suspect, but was charged with obstructing justice. 

The suspected shooter’s identity is still unknown. 

An initial alert from the university said a suspect was in custody, and video posted on social media appeared to show an older man being detained afterward. Officials later said the suspect was still at large and the man detained was cleared of being the shooter. 

FBI director Kash Patel then said in a social media post around 6:30 p.m. ET that a suspect had been taken into custody. Around 8 p.m. ET, he said they released the person after interrogation.

Law enforcement officials are investigating and say they’re still looking for a suspect in the shooting. 

Utah authorities said the shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a roof on campus some distance away. 

“We are actively looking for anyone and everyone who has any information related to the shooting,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said.

Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogan “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong.” 

A single shot rings out and Kirk can be seen reaching for his neck with his right hand. Stunned spectators can be heard gasping and screaming before people start to run away. 

The shooting comes amid a spike in political violence in the United States across all parts of the ideological spectrum. 

The attacks include the assassination of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband at their house in June, the firebombing of a Colorado parade to demand Hamas release hostages, and a fire set at the house of Pennsylvania’s governor, who is Jewish, in April. 

The most notorious of these events is the shooting of Trump during a campaign rally last year.

President Donald Trump survived two assassination attempts in 2024, including one where a bullet whizzed by the then-candidate’s ear at a rally in Pennsylvania. That shooter was killed by a Secret Service sniper as Trump was moved to cover. 

Another accused would-be-assassin was arrested by Secret Service agents near where Trump was golfing in Florida shortly after, before any shots were fired. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.