FBI confirms recovery of bolt-action rifle used in Charlie Kirk assassination * WorldNetDaily * by WND Staff

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The FBI on Thursday released images of the suspect agents want to interview regarding the assassination on Wednesday of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university event.

“We are asking for the public’s help identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. 1-800-CALL-FBI,” the announcement said.

The FBI also said it recovered a bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

And agents are investigating whether there are any usable fingerprints on it, whether footprints found near the weapon are significant and much, much more.

The assassin remained at large Thursday, after two individuals were taken into custody, questioned, and then released on Wednesday in the hours after the shooting.

There were reports, in an X post from Steven Crowder, of Louder with Crowder, that law enforcement found an “older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus.”

“The location of the firearm appears to match the suspects route of travel. The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” the report said.

That word comes on the heels of a long list of mass shootings perpetrated by transgender-advocating individuals.

A report in the Washington Examiner explained authorities confirmed at a news conference that the murder weapon was recovered in a wooded area near the shooting scene, a region that now has been swept and secured.

Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason also confirmed authorities have a “good video” of the shooter.

“The suspect was described as being of college age, and arrived on campus about a half hour before the murder. The assassin jumped off the roof after the shooting and fled into a nearby neighborhood,” the report said.

The suspect, immediately after the shooting, was described to police as wearing jeans, a black shirt, a black mask, and a black vest, and carrying a “long rifle.”

The shooter is thought to have shot Kirk from atop the Sorensen Student Center on the campus of Utah Valley University.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the FBI.

An analyst said in the Washington Examiner report that police likely were using cell phone data, cameras, license plate readers and such.

The weapon is expected to provide some details, such as when and where it was purchased, where the ammunition was purchased and such.

The report noted, “The UVU campus will be closed for the rest of the week, and classes have been canceled for several days. Several Utah universities increased their security and/or police presence on their campuses, including the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and Southern Utah University.”

The individuals detained and released, the report said, were identified as George Zinn and Zachariah Qureshi.

Both were let go after being interrogated.

Radio traffic from Utah County Public Safety earlier in the day had a dispatcher saying: “Description on the male: All in black, long pants, black bag, aviator-style sunglasses with a long gun.”

It is believed the shooter fired a weapon from a long distance, striking the founder of Turning Point USA who was speaking while seated under a tent.