What We Know About Weapon Used By Suspect In Charlie Kirk S Fatal Shoo

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 7:34 PM

what we know about weapon used by suspect in charlie kirk s fatal shoo

Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Paul Thomasch and Lincoln Feast. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Kanishka Singh is a breaking news reporter for Reuters in Washington DC, who primarily covers US politics and national affairs in his current role. His past breaking news coverage has spanned across a range of topics like the Black Lives Matter movement; the US elections; the 2021 Capitol riots and their follow up probes; the Brexit deal; US-China... 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.

Multiple reputable outlets reported that investigators recovered a bolt-action, Mauser-style rifle chambered in .30-06 believed to have been used in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, with law enforcement identifying the weapon as an... Reports also note forensic links such as DNA on the trigger and spent cartridge matching the recovered firearm, but some sources stop short of a definitive model identification and emphasize investigatory uncertainty [4] [5]. 1. What reporting converges on the rifle’s identity and why that matters Media organizations converged on the core claim that a bolt-action, high-powered rifle was recovered and believed to be the weapon used in Charlie Kirk’s killing, repeatedly describing the gun as an older Mauser-pattern rifle... The Mauser Model 98 is singled out by multiple accounts as the likely platform, a historically common German military bolt-action that has been widely circulated and sometimes converted to different calibers, which matters because...

That convergence strengthens the basic identification while leaving model-level certainty somewhat open. 2. Where the reports differ and why those differences are significant The gun authorities say was used to assassinate Charlie Kirk was a Mauser 98, a common bolt-action rifle typically used for hunting. The gun is a popular rifle used to hunt bigger game and has a markedly different design and function than the modern semiautomatic assault rifles that have made headlines in high-profile mass shootings. The hunting rifle, which had a heavier .30-06 caliber, dates back decades as German-made military surplus with millions produced and resold in the United States, experts told USA TODAY.

Authorities say the shooter used a rifle with a mounted scope to strike Kirk in the neck. The shooter may have been less than 150 yards from Kirk, according to a USA TODAY analysis of satellite imagery. “It’s an easy shot for someone even with minimal training,” said Scott Sweetow, a firearms expert and a retired senior official in the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Mauser 98 doesn't require an expert to be accurate at that range, according to Brandon Webb, a former Navy SEALs head sniper instructor and editor at the military lifestyle outlet SOFREP. (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Losee Center building near where conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.

The man accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk got the gun authorities say he used in the fatal Utah Valley University shooting from his grandfather, according to charging documents filed Tuesday. The suspect also described the messages he allegedly engraved into bullet casings that authorities later recovered from the scene as “mostly a big meme.” Prosecutors held a news conference Tuesday after formally filing charges against Tyler James Robinson, 22, in connection with Kirk’s killing. Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray, who is leading the prosecution, said they intend to seek the death penalty. According to a probable cause statement filed after Robinson was first arrested early Friday, the gun used in the shooting was a Mauser Model 98, .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle with a mounted scope. The hunting-style rifle is able to hold five rounds.

Fox News Digital sees police officers taping off the crime scene where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated on Utah Valley University's campus. The gun recovered by authorities in the assassination of Charlie Kirk was a bolt-action rifle — a common hunting weapon valued for its reliability but limited to a single shot before reloading. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, who described Kirk's assassination as a "watershed moment," said during a Friday press conference that inscriptions were detected on bullet casings found with the rifle. Inscriptions on a fired casing read: "notices, bulges, OwO, what's this?" Other unused casings read, "Hey fascist! Catch!" and "If you read this you are gay lmao," Cox said.

Unlike a semiautomatic, the shooter must manually operate the bolt handle to cycle the weapon: lifting and pulling it back moves the spent cartridge, while pushing it forward chambers a new round from the... Lowering the bolt locks the round and seals the chamber, making the rifle ready to fire again — a simple, durable design that has kept it popular among hunters and target shooters. "This process limits the rate of fire, you can only take one shot at a time," explained retired Marine Lt. Col. Hal Kempfer in an interview with Fox News Digital. What We Know About Weapon Used by Suspect in Charlie Kirk's Fatal Shooting

People pay their respects during a vigil at Orem City Center Park, after U.S. right-wing activist and commentator, Charlie Kirk, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University, in Orem, Utah, U.S. September 11, 2025. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S.

investigators said on Thursday they had found a bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the politically charged fatal shooting of influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcast host and close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, helped build the Republican Party's support among younger voters. He was killed on Wednesday by a single gunshot as he gave a talk at a university in Utah in what Trump called a "heinous assassination." The weapon recovered by investigators was described by FBI official Robert Bohls as "a high-powered, bolt-action rifle." It was found in a wooded area near the shooting site in Utah. Authorities have recovered a weapon they believed was used in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, but as of Thursday evening, a suspect was not in custody.

Kirk was speaking to a crowd at UVU under a tent when he was shot in the neck. He was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital where he later died. At a press briefing Thursday morning, FBI Salt Lake City Special Agent Robert Bohls said the weapon used is a high-powered bolt action rifle. “That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled,” he said. “So the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon. Investigators have also collected footwear impressions, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.”

Law enforcement debunked rumors detailing information about the weapon; specifically about the ammunition, including inscriptions and symbols it allegedly contained. On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, an American right-wing political activist, was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah, United States. The outdoor event was the first stop of the Fall 2025 season for the American Comeback Tour, a speaking and debate series planned by Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization that he co-founded. Kirk was fatally shot in the neck while engaging with an audience member about mass shootings in the United States by a sniper on the roof of a building approximately 142 yards (130 m)... The next day, 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson surrendered himself to the local sheriff. Prosecutors charged Robinson with murder on September 16 and announced they would seek the death penalty, alleging the attack was politically motivated.[2][3][4]

The assassination was highlighted as an instance of increasing political violence within the United States and was condemned by national and foreign leaders. Video footage of the shooting spread rapidly on social media, and reactions ranged from heartfelt messages expressing anguish about the political climate to sharply partisan comments and celebrations of his death.[5][6][7] President Donald Trump,... The Trump administration called for a crackdown against what it called "political extremism" on the left,[10][11][12][13] which was widely criticized by free speech advocates and legal experts as using the assassination as a pretext... Charlie Kirk was an American right-wing political activist, author, and media personality, known for co-founding and serving as CEO of Turning Point USA.[17][18] A close ally of US president Donald Trump, Kirk utilized his... Authorities say they have recovered a "high-powered, bolt-action rifle" used in the shooting in a wooded area. A footprint was also recovered.

This liveblog has now ended — follow the latest updates here. The assassination of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist, has raised alarms about the scourge of political violence in the United States, escalating anxieties about the safety of public figures on both sides of the... Kirk’s killing was the latest in a series of attacks and threats targeting a range of American political figures, from President Donald Trump and members of Congress to governors and judges. Kirk was not an elected official, though he wielded influence as the founder of conservative advocacy group Turning Point USA and was a close ally of the Trump administration. “I was not, in any way, surprised” by Kirk’s killing, said Michael Jensen, a researcher at the University of Maryland who tracks such violence in a domestic terrorism database. Jensen said he has seen an increase in attacks targeting what he characterizes as “government entities” — legislators and candidates, as well as officers carrying out immigration enforcement actions.

What We Know About Weapon Used By Suspect In Charlie Kirk S Fatal Shoo

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