Perpetrator still on the run: FBI launches large-scale manhunt for Kirk shooter

An unknown assailant in the US shoots influential Trump supporter Charlie Kirk. In the chaos that followed, he manages to escape. Security authorities arrest two men but are forced to release both. Many questions remain unanswered.

Following the fatal shooting of right-wing activist and Trump supporter Charlie Kirk, the FBI and local police are still searching for the shooter. Citizens with information, photos, or videos of the attack are urged to report it via an online form.

"We are deploying all available resources to this investigation, including tactical, operational, investigative, and intelligence assets," FBI agent Robert Bohls said in a statement. "To be clear, the FBI, along with our partners, will fully support and co-lead this investigation," the statement read.

A few hours after the attack, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a suspect had been taken into custody. He was released after questioning. "Our investigation is ongoing," Patel wrote on X. According to the New York Post, the arrested man—a college student—was a loyal fan of podcaster Kirk.

This is already the second person the investigators have mistakenly arrested. Previously, an elderly man was handcuffed and then released, as footage from the crime scene shows.

The shooter allegedly fired from the roof of a nearby building in a "targeted attack," according to Utah authorities. Videos on social media show a person on the roof of a neighboring building. Information about the weapon is not yet available. According to investigators, the suspect can also be seen in surveillance camera images. He was wearing dark clothing.

"My administration will find every single person who contributed to this atrocity and other political violence, including the organizations that fund and support them," threatened US President Donald Trump after the attack.