US officials have issued an urgent appeal for help from the public as they continue to search for the shooter of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, releasing new videos and photos from the scene of the attack in Utah.<\/p>\n
More than 24 hours after Kirk was shot while speaking<\/a> in front of thousands of people at a Utah university, the state\u2019s governor, appearing alongside FBI director Kash Patel and other officials, said \u201cwe need as much help as we can possibly get.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot do our job without the public\u2019s help,\u201d Utah\u2019s governor, Spencer Cox said, adding that the FBI had received more than 7,000 leads and tips so far.<\/p>\n The newly released video showed a person wearing a hat, sunglasses and a long sleeve black shirt running across a roof, climbing off the edge of the building and dropping to the ground. The suspect is believed to have fled into the local neighbourhood after firing the one shot and has not yet been identified.<\/p>\n Investigators said they had obtained clues, including a palm print, a shoe impression and a high-powered hunting rifle found in a wooded area along the path the shooter fled. But they were yet to name a suspect or cite a motive in the killing.<\/p>\n This combination of image released by the FBI shows photos of a person of interest in the investigation into the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk. Photograph: FBI\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n The direct appeals for public support at the night-time news conference, appeared to signal law enforcement\u2019s continued struggles to identify the shooter and pinpoint the person\u2019s whereabouts. Authorities didn\u2019t take questions, and Patel did not speak at the news conference. The FBI is offering up to $100,000<\/a> for information leading to the identification and arrest of the person.<\/p>\n The death of Kirk \u2013 a close ally of President Donald Trump<\/a> \u2013 has drawn renewed attention to the escalating threat of political violence<\/a> in the United States which, in the last several years, has cut across the ideological spectrum. The assassination drew bipartisan condemnation from political leaders.<\/p>\n In appealing for information, Cox said on Thursday, \u201cthere is a tremendous amount of disinformation\u201d online.<\/p>\n \u201cOur adversaries want violence,\u201d Cox said. \u201cWe have bots from Russia, China, all over the world that are trying to instil disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those streams.\u201d<\/p>\n Cox also pledged to find the killer and pursue the death penalty.<\/p>\n Kirk\u2019s casket arrived in his home state of Arizona aboard Air Force Two<\/a>, accompanied by vice-president JD Vance. Vance\u2019s wife, Usha, stepped off the plane with Kirk\u2019s widow, Erika.<\/p>\n map<\/a><\/p>\n Vance helped carry Kirk\u2019s casket with a group of uniformed service members as it was loaded on to the plane. Kirk\u2019s conservative youth organisation, Turning Point USA, was based in Phoenix.<\/p>\n \u201cSo much of the success we\u2019ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie\u2019s ability to organize and convene,\u201d Vance wrote on social media, referencing Kirk\u2019s role in getting Donald Trump<\/a> elected last year. \u201cHe didn\u2019t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.\u201d<\/p>\n Kirk was a provocateur<\/a> and a divisive figure who is credited with helping bring young people, especially men, into the US president\u2019s Make America Great Again (Maga) movement.<\/p>\n In a statement on Thursday, TPUSA wrote: \u201cAll of us have lost a leader, a mentor, and a friend. Above all, our hearts are with Erika and their two children. Charlie was the ideal husband and the perfect father. Above all else, we ask you to pray for the Kirks after the incomprehensible loss they have suffered.\u201d<\/p>\n