For several tense hours on Wednesday afternoon, the nation waited for answers after Charlie Kirk was shot while kicking off his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley University. More than 2,000 people had gathered to hear Kirk speak, and chaos erupted when an unknown assailant opened fire as Kirk was answering a question about transgender shooters.
The conservative commentator and activist was struck in the neck and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Witnesses described a frantic scene as security rushed to get him medical attention while terrified attendees scrambled for safety.
Early reports added to the confusion. Video circulating online showed an elderly man being arrested and taken out of the venue. Initial reports identified him as the shooter. That turned out to be false. Local police later confirmed the man was not the assailant, and by then the real shooter had slipped away. For hours, authorities confirmed the suspect remained at large.
“The only information we have on the suspect, the possible shooter, is taken from closed-circuit TV (CCTV) here on campus,” Beau Mason, commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said at a press conference. “We do have that. We’re analyzing it. But it is security camera footage, so you can kind of guess what the quality of that is.”
Then, at 6:21 p.m. Eastern, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a suspect had been taken into custody. “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi. We will provide updates when able,” Patel posted.
The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi.
We will provide updates when able.— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 10, 2025
CNN also reports that a “person of interest” is in custody.
A person of interest is in custody following the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Wednesday.
“The investigation is ongoing, but I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this: We will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said.
The person of interest is currently being interviewed, officials said at a news conference today.
Gov. Cox confirmed Wednesday that the identity of the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk has not yet been disclosed. Cox said investigators currently believe a lone gunman carried the attack out.
“At this point, there is no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved,” Cox told reporters at a press conference.
Even so, the governor acknowledged that law enforcement is “actively looking” for individuals who may have additional knowledge of the events that unfolded earlier in the day. He also confirmed that authorities “have a person of interest in custody that is being interviewed right now.”
While a person of interest is now in custody, key questions remain unanswered. Authorities are continuing their investigation, and the FBI and local law enforcement are leaving no stone unturned. For now, Americans can only hope that justice will be swift and that the full story behind this brazen attack will soon come to light.
