A second suspect has been released in the chaotic aftermath of the assassination of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, FBI Director Kash Patel announced.
Kirk, 31, was shot at 12.20pm during a rally at Utah Valley University by a gunman who was caught on camera dashing across a rooftop in the moments after he opened fire.
Terrified screams erupted as the Turning Point USA founder toppled from his chair after the shots rang out.
He was then rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, as an elderly man was taken into custody.
Authorities have since learned that the man who was taken into custody in the immediate aftermath, 71-year-old George Zinn, was not the shooter. Another man, Zachariah Qureshi, who was taken into custody and questioned by police was also released.
‘There is no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals,’ the FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety said in a joint statement.
‘There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter,’ the agencies added.
FBI agents are now working with the local police to track down the killer, as Utah Gov. Spencer Cox suggested the murderer may face the death penalty.
Follow the Daily Mail for all the latest updates after the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Charlie Kirk shooting: Everything you need to know as manhunt underway for killer
A manhunt is underway across America today after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead as he gave a speech at Utah Valley University.
The 31-year-old was killed at a debate hosted by Turning Point USA, the youth organization he co-founded in 2012, in what has been described as a ‘political assassination’.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon when authorities said the shooter fired from a roof
- Videos posted to social media show Kirk, seen speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent, reach up with his right hand after the single shot rings out
- He was rushed to a hospital by his private security team and was later declared dead.
- Donald Trump confirmed Kirk’s death in a social media post and has ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff
- President Trump, who was shot at a campaign event last year, said he and Kirk had a close relationship
- Utah Governor Spencer Cox declared the fatal shooting a ‘political assassination’ and warned the perpetrator they could face the death penalty
- A ‘person of interest’ was taken into police custody but has since been has been released, FBI Director Kash Patel has said
US embassies lower flags across Asia
US embassies in Seoul, South Korea, and in Tokyo have lowered their flags to half-staff in honour of Charlie Kirk.
George Glass, the US ambassador to Japan, described Kirk as a ‘true patriot and leader of young Americans’ in a post of X.
Minute-by-minute, how the Charlie Kirk assassination unfolded
Just weeks into the fall semester, a crowd gathered around the canopy on a grassy college courtyard.
They were eager to hear what the speaker beneath it had to say. It was a typical university scene, with its promise of the exchange of ideas and debate, except in one way: its size.
This speaker was Charlie Kirk, one of the most influential voices in President Donald Trump’s ‘Make America Great Again’ movement, and the event on Wednesday at Utah Valley University drew more than 3,000 people.
Backpack-toting students watched from surrounding buildings as Kirk, wearing a white T-shirt that said ‘Freedom,’ tossed red MAGA caps, Frisbee-style, to his fans.
He took his place beneath the canopy, the slogans ‘The American Comeback’ and ‘Prove Me Wrong’ emblazoned across it.
Read below for a detailed look at how the shooting unfolded:
