FBI Says Charlie Kirk Shooter Used High-Powered Bolt-Action Rifle

The FBI announced that the Charlie Kirk shooter used a high-powered bolt-action rifle to murder the conservative activist. According to ABC News, Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls indicated on Sept. 11, 2025, that the weapon was recovered in a wooded area near Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, where Kirk had been speaking at an event when he was shot.

The Turning Point USA founder was shot in the neck at the event at approximately 12:20 p.m. on Sept. 10. Kirk was rushed to the hospital, but later pronounced dead. The conservative activist was a provocative public figure and Trump supporter who called George Floyd a "scumbag," said the 1964 Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a “huge mistake,” and claimed "Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America," per The Guardian. He also called transgender people "garbage."

Whoever killed Charlie Kirk used a high-powered bolt-action rifle to shoot the Turning Point USA founder as he spoke to a crowd at Utah Valley University. According to The Independent, after 17 students and staff were shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., back in 2018, Kirk defended the National Rifle Association.

"It’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment," said Kirk.

During a Q&A about gun violence and mass shootings, Kirk was asked, "Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?”

Kirk replied, "Counting or not counting gang violence?”

It was at that moment that Kirk was shot in the neck, and blood was seen streaming down as he recoiled and fell back in his chair. The weapon was later found in a wooded area nearby and described as a "high-powered, bolt-action rifle."

A footprint was also recovered at the scene, per NBC News, and a manhunt is underway for the killer. The FBI shared a picture of the suspected shooter, who they believe is a college-aged man. He was recorded wearing dark-colored jeans and a black long-sleeved shirt with a picture of the American flag and a gun on the front. The suspect was also wearing black sunglasses and a black hat.

A bolt-action rifle is a weapon known for its accuracy and reliability, often used by hunters. The bolt-action rifle has a manually operated action that allows the user to easily control their shots with a high-power cartridge. According to USA Today, the killer used a Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle to murder Kirk from a distance.

Former ATF Associate Deputy Director Tom Chittum said that the shooter was a skilled gunman.

"This was a longer shot, that suggests a person has prepared and practiced," he said. "But you don’t necessarily need to be a police or military sniper to make that shot. With modern optics and some practice, it’s not an impossible shot."

He also noted that he was surprised the killer left the weapon behind.

“I assume, discarding it would be part of the plan to escape," he continued. "To carry a long rifle. It surprised me the person abandoned it. It certainly makes it easier. It’ll have biological evidence, and the trace itself will produce leads.”

Kirk is survived by his wife Erika and their two young children.