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By Nick Mordowanec and Jason Lemon
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The FBI will provide up to $100,000 for information that helps law enforcement identify and arrest the person or people responsible for the assassination of conservative Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, the agency said on Thursday.
Newsweek reached out to the FBI via email for comment.
The Context
Kirk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck during an event at Utah Valley University. While two people were detained by authorities in connection with the investigation, both were released after questioning.
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His killing, of which videos swiftly circulated on social media, has stoked rising political tensions across the United States.
"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," the bureau said on X.
Kirk Shooting Suspect: Photo Released
FBI Salt Lake City released images on social media of a male described as a "person of interest" by authorities.
The murky photos show the male wearing a dark-colored hat, dark sunglasses, a dark-colored shirt that appears to show the American flag, and blue jeans. In one photo, he is seen at the bottom of a staircase. Both photos show nothing in his hands.
What Weapon Was Found at the Scene?
Authorities confirmed Thursday that a high-powered bolt-action rifle was recovered in a wooded area near the suspected escape route. Investigators also collected a footwear imprint, which is undergoing forensic analysis.
More than 130 tips were submitted to the FBI in a single day.
Special Agent Robert Bohls of the FBI's Salt Lake City field office said Thursday that federal investigators are working "nonstop" to identify and apprehend the person responsible for the shooting.
"We will relentlessly pursue this case and the shooter," Bohls said, calling the attack a "heinous crime."
What Is a Bolt-Action Rifle?
Bolt action refers to a type of manual firearm action in which a user manipulates the turn-bolt via a bolt handle, usually found on the firearm's right side, as most gun owners are right-handed. Most bolt-action firearms are rifles, but there are also shotguns and handguns that operate similarly.
While such firearms can shoot multiple bullets, some manufacturers make single-shot designs for purpose of sport, for example, such as during Olympic competitions.
Kirk and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Trump, while addressing attendees at a memorial event at the Pentagon on Thursday to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The president opened his remarks by mentioning the killing, saying Americans were shocked at the "horror and grief" of the incident.
"Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people....We miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and courage put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on," Trump said.
The date of the ceremony has not yet been announced but will feature "a very big crowd," Trump added.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. 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. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
Donald Trump Jr., on X: "This isn't my strong suit and I don't even know how to begin to put into words the loss I am feeling right now over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie wasn't just a friend—he was like a little brother to me—and to millions of people around the world, he was a true inspiration."
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, on X: "We see the workings of this ideology in every posting online cheering the evil assassination that cruelly robbed this nation of one of its greatest men. Postings from those in positions of institutional authority—educators, healthcare workers, therapists, government employees—reveling in the vile and the sinister with the most chilling glee."
Luke Baumgartner, research fellow at the program on extremism at George Washington University, told Newsweek: "The shooting of Charlie Kirk underscores how combustible American politics are right now. We're living in a point in time where political identities are now hardened into immutable characteristics and existential struggles.
"I think that violence is a recurring feature of our public life. An act like this just further feeds into the cycle of fear, grievance and retaliation that erodes democratic norms and highlights the dangerous realities that public figures across the political spectrum now have to deal with."
Alexander Hilton, professor of anthropology at Rutgers University, told Newsweek: "If outrageous and abominable, Charlie Kirk's assassination was not a surprise. The U.S. is steeped in toxic polarization—extreme us-them thinking stoked by division entrepreneurs, hate-mongering populists, and monetized click-bait rage promoting algorithms. Fingers-crossed I'm wrong, but there is likely more political violence to come."
What Happens Next
A preliminary internal report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) indicates that ammunition recovered with the bolt-action rifle used in the shooting may have been engraved with messages referencing transgender and anti-fascist ideology. It is undergoing forensic analysis.
Update 9/11/25, 1:59 p.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.
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