Kirk helped increase support for Donald Trump among younger voters in the US.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it is working alongside local and state law enforcement partners in Utah to fully investigate and seek justice in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.
Kirk, a US right-wing activist, commentator and an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was fatally shot in the neck on Wednesday at an event at a Utah university.
Investigation
The 31-year-old Kirk had influence in US politics, helping the rise of Trump’s support among younger voters, one of the key factors in Trump’s return to power last year.
FBI special agent in charge Robert Bohls said they are investigating the shooting.
“As soon as we heard about the shooting, special agents and personnel from the Salt Lake City Field Office responded immediately.
“We have full resources devoted to this investigation, including tactical, operational, investigative and intelligence. To be clear, the FBI will fully support and co-lead this investigation alongside our partners,” Bohls said.
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Shooting
Videos posted to social media show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone at the university’s Sorensen Center courtyard, sitting under a white tent emblazoned with the slogans, “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong”, according to AFP.
The footage showed Kirk appearing to collapse in his chair before the camera swiftly moved, and the sound of panic began to erupt in the audience.
‘Person of interest’
A “person of interest” was in custody on Wednesday evening, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said, though no charges were immediately announced. That person was later released, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
News of the shooting provoked shock across the political spectrum, with senior figures on the right and left paying tribute.
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