Investigators have recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk, with ammunition engraved with expressions of transgender and antifascist ideology, according to an internal law-enforcement bulletin and a person familiar with the case.
The weapon, described as an older-model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near Utah Valley University in Orem, where Kirk was killed on Wednesday. The rifle had a spent cartridge still in the chamber and three additional rounds in the magazine, each marked with political messaging according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to a bulletin obtained from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Kirk was shot once at approximately 12:24 p.m. while speaking on campus as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” “On September 10, 2025, at approximately 12:24PM, Conservative political influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. Mr. Kirk was speaking at the University as part of the American Comeback Tour. Multiple SLC I and III agents responded immediately,” the document stated.
The report adds that the suspect fired from an elevated position on a nearby rooftop before fleeing on foot. Surveillance footage shows the individual jumping from the building and escaping toward the wooded area where the firearm was later recovered.
Forensic analysis of the weapon and ammunition is underway by the FBI, which is conducting DNA and fingerprint testing. Officials emphasized that the investigation remains in its preliminary stages, with several people of interest questioned but no primary suspect yet identified.
The Justice Department and FBI are working alongside Utah authorities to trace the firearm and pursue leads. The case remains under active investigation.
