Charlie Kirk Shooter S Rifle Recovered In Wooded Area As Fbi Closes In

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 9:19 PM

charlie kirk shooter s rifle recovered in wooded area as fbi closes in

OREM, UT — Behind Utah Valley University's Losee building, FBI forensics agents were still gathering evidence Sept. 11 in the wooded area where the bureau said agents recovered the "high-powered" rifle a shooter used to kill political influencer Charlie Kirk. The Wall Street Journal and New York Times, citing law-enforcement sources, reported it was an older model Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle. An ATF spokesperson declined to comment to USA TODAY, citing the active investigation. Evidence markers on a small hill behind the building appeared to mark the trail the shooter took, scrambling through some trees towards a nearby construction site. Charlie Kirk shooting live updates: New person of interest sought by FBI, rifle found

At the site, Dylan Hope, an electrician, told USA TODAY that his colleague, who was operating an excavator Wednesday, Sept. 10, when the shooting took place, believes he spoke with the gunman. Hope said his colleague spoke with a young man who appeared on the site and asked if he could walk through it. OREM, Utah (KUTV) — A high-powered rifle investigators claim was used in the shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk was recovered in a nearby wooded area of the Utah Valley University campus, according to... During a press conference early Thursday morning, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls said investigators made a few breakthroughs since the fatal shooting. Among those breakthroughs the recovery of the rifle.

Commissioner Mason said the suspect jumped off the roof where the shooting took place and fled into the wooded area, dropping the rifle. Special Agent Bohls said FBI laboratories will analyze the weapon as evidence. Investigators also collected footwear impressions, a palm print and a forearm imprint which will also be analyzed. "I assure you that all leads and tips are being fully investigated," said Bohls. "As of this morning, the FBI has received over 130 tips. I thank the community for that."

Day after Charlie Kirk's "political assassination," new images have emerged of investigators inspecting the wooded area where the shooter dumped his rifle. Images show police officers taping off an area behind Utah Valley University as forensics collected evidence including “footwear, impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis." Authorities are still searching for the shooter who killed Kirk at a public event on Wednesday. FBI officials said Thursday morning that they had recovered a "high-powered bolt action rifle" from the woods. The investigating agency also released photos of person of interest in the killing. In a post on X, FBI sought the public's help in identifying the person in connection with the murder of the 31-year-old political activist.

The pictures show a person wearing black sunglasses, a baseball cap and long sleeved black graphic t-shirt and jeans. Update Sept. 12: A suspect is in custody. Gov. Spencer Cox announced his arrest on Friday morning.— A high-powered, bolt-action rifle has been recovered in the shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University.

The weapon was found in a nearby wooded area where the suspect fled, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls. “The FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon,” Bohls said. “Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.” Law enforcement officials released a few new details about the overnight investigation. Using video on campus, they’ve tracked the shooter’s movements from the point they arrived on campus — at 11:52 a.m. — and through the escape after the shooting.

The individual is believed to have jumped off the building from which they shot from and then fled through a neighborhood. Beau Mason, the commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said technology is being used to get an identification. Authorities investigating the shocking murder of Charlie Kirk recovered a weapon that could prove key to solving the case. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls confirmed that investigators found a “high-powered bolt-action rifle” hidden in a wooded area near where Kirk was killed. Officials said the FBI sent the firearm to a laboratory for detailed analysis. The discovery comes after days of intense searching by federal and local investigators.

Bohls told reporters that detectives also uncovered footwear impressions and a palm print in the vicinity of the crime scene, which could provide crucial leads. The public flooded the FBI with information, submitting more than 130 tips since Kirk’s death shocked the community. “Every piece of information helps us build a clearer picture of what happened,” Bohls said. He stressed that investigators carefully review each lead, no matter how small, to ensure they don’t miss anything. Residents in the area expressed both relief and lingering anxiety following news of the weapon’s recovery. Some praised the FBI for their thorough approach, while others worried that the suspect could still be at large.

Social media lit up with community members sharing updates, theories, and concerns about safety, revealing just how deeply Kirk’s death has affected the public. Experts note that the rifle’s recovery could significantly advance the investigation. Forensic analysis can link weapons to their owners through ballistics, serial numbers, and other trace evidence. Meanwhile, the footwear impressions and palm print may help pinpoint the suspect’s movements and potentially place them at the scene of the murder. Whether you agree or disagree with our analysis, these conversations matter for democracy. We don't take money from political groups - even a $5 donation helps us keep it that way.

Authorities say a high‑powered bolt‑action rifle was recovered and is believed to be the weapon used to kill Charlie Kirk; officials and multiple outlets identify it as a Mauser Model 98 in .30‑06 with... Law enforcement says the rifle was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near Utah Valley University and is being forensically analyzed at an FBI lab; prosecutors later said the gun came... 1. What officials publicly identified: a bolt‑action, high‑powered rifle FBI and local law enforcement repeatedly described the recovered weapon as a “high‑powered, bolt‑action rifle” that they believe was used in the shooting of Charlie Kirk; the FBI said the rifle was being examined... Media outlets including Reuters, PBS and DW relayed the FBI characterisation and noted investigators recovered the rifle from a wooded area near the campus where the event took place [1] [5] [7].

2. Specific make and caliber reported by some outlets: Mauser Model 98, .30‑06

Charlie Kirk Shooter S Rifle Recovered In Wooded Area As Fbi Closes In

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