Authorities are zeroing in on potential leads in the manhunt for Charlie Kirk’s assassin after collecting a home surveillance camera that may hold critical evidence. A resident told Fox News Digital he believes the camera captured the suspect in a neighbor’s backyard. Police, joined by agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were seen at the property. One agent even climbed a ladder to remove the entire floodlight unit, securing the camera inside—an unusual but clear signal of just how serious investigators are about tracking down Kirk’s killer.
Fox News Digital has more:
Erwin Steele and his family own several homes on West Street in Orem. One of them is separated from Utah Valley University’s Campus Drive by a chain fence, across from an alleyway the shooter may have used while fleeing. Steele said he believes the suspect crossed onto one of his family’s properties.
Steele said his brother owns the surveillance camera that authorities confiscated Thursday after it recorded a single person running through backyards on the block after the shooting.
The street is near a wooded area where investigators recovered a rifle earlier in the investigation.
Steele said he thinks the suspect ran down the alleyway, ditched his weapon, bypassed the fence where it ended and ran through his family’s properties.
We previously reported that Utah authorities abruptly canceled Thursday’s scheduled press conference on the assassination of Charlie Kirk, citing “rapid developments” in the case. The briefing, set for 12:45 p.m. MDT, was called off less than an hour before it was to begin.
“Due to the rapid developments in our investigation, we will suspend this,” said Hillary Koellner, director of communications and public affairs for the Utah Department of Public Safety. “We will release an updated time later today.”
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The sudden move highlights just how fluid the investigation remains—and hints that authorities may have uncovered significant new leads. Hours earlier, the FBI released still images of a person of interest and offered a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to his identification and capture.
FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino are also reportedly en route to Salt Lake City as the manhunt intensifies.
FBI Supervisory Special Agent and profiler James Clemente speculated about what drove the killer to violence.
“In this case, it’s likely that there has been for some time, a building frustration, and anger, and rage and an inability to feel that is addressed. And so they wanted to make a big — a very big — public statement,” Clemente told Fox News Digital. “[The suspect] probably has a very poor self image, and wanted to do something big to feel better about themselves. And they probably, again, don’t have the skills to address these issues in a calm, rational, interpersonal way. And that’s why they lashed out in this very violent and extreme manner.”
The FBI says the search for Charlie Kirk’s assassin remains ongoing, with multiple leads under investigation but no suspect in custody. Authorities released screenshots of the suspected shooter taken from campus security footage moments before the attack, urging the public to call in tips. A reward of up to $100,000 has been offered for information leading to the gunman’s arrest.
Investigators also recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle in the area where the shooter fled. Forensic experts are analyzing the weapon, along with collected evidence that includes a footwear impression, a palm print, and forearm imprints. While reports of inscriptions on the rifle are circulating, the FBI has not confirmed those details, stressing the investigation is rapidly evolving.
PJ Media will continue to monitor this ongoing story.
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