US investigators plead for public’s help in Charlie Kirk killing

OREM, Utah – Investigators searching for the man who killed right-wing activist Charlie Kirk appealed for the public’s help on Sept 11, with no one in custody more than a day after a murder that has rocked America’s fractious politics.

Mr Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who harnessed surging youth support for President Donald Trump, was shot dead while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Sept 10.

Hundreds of agents from across 20 law enforcement agencies are combing for clues to the identity of the culprit, but at a media briefing on the evening of Sept 11, they appeared to have little to show.

“We cannot do our job without the public’s help,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters, adding that the authorities had received more than 7,000 leads.

“We need... as much help as we can possibly get. Any videos or photos that you might have... should be submitted to our digital media tip line.”

Federal Bureau of Investigation director Kash Patel, who on Sept 10 tweeted that agents had someone in custody before having to walk that back, stood mutely as Mr Cox spoke.

No one took any questions from the assembled press corps.

Pictures released on Sept 11 show a man whom detectives want to question.

He was wearing Converse shoes, a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses, and what appeared to be jeans, with a long-sleeved top emblazoned with a design that included an American flag.

Police say they believe the shooter fired a single bullet from a rooftop up to 180m away, hitting Mr Kirk in the neck.

A video played at the press conference shows a figure running across a roof at the university, then jumping to the ground and making his way off campus towards some trees – apparently the location where a high-powered bolt-action rifle was recovered.

‘Dark moment’

Reflecting the highly political nature of the killing, Mr Kirk’s coffin was transported to his home city of Phoenix on Mr J.D. Vance’s official plane.

Footage showed the Vice-President with his hands on the casket as it was carried to Air Force Two.

Mr Kirk’s widow, Erika, held hands with Mr Vance’s wife after the plane arrived in Arizona, the headquarters of the powerful Turning Point USA.

The right-wing media sphere remained in a state of heightened emotion on Sept 11, with Fox News contributors recounting the impact Mr Kirk had on their lives.

Conspiracy theories ricocheted around the internet, while calls for a return to civility in political discourse vied with those demanding vengeance.

“THIS IS WAR,” wrote the popular right-wing X account of @LibsofTikTOK.

Fox News host Jesse Watters on Sept 10 said the killing showed his side of the political spectrum was under attack.

“Whether we want to accept it or not, they are at war with us. And what are we going to do about it?“ he asked his audience.

Mr Trump, however, urged supporters to respond peacefully, telling reporters that Mr Kirk had been “an advocate of non-violence”.

“That’s the way I’d like to see people respond,” the President said.

‘Martyr’ for the right

Students at the Utah Valley University on Sept 11 described their shock, and their broader fears as political divisions deepen across the country.

Mr Dave Sanchez told AFP witnessing the killing made him “sick to my stomach”.

“We watch him all the time and so it really does feel like one of your own family members, your own brother, has been killed,” said Mr Sanchez, 26.

Mr Kirk, whom supporters have hailed as a “martyr” for conservative ideals, had an outsized influence in US politics.

He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, with his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.

The father of two used his enormous audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.

Mr Kirk’s killing is the latest chilling episode in a country that is no stranger to political violence, particularly in recent years.

Three months ago, a Minnesota man shot dead a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in their home.

In July 2024, Mr Trump survived an assassination attempt during his election campaign. AFP