ABC, citing anonymous law enforcement sources, made this assertion following the FBI’s announcement that its agents had located a bolt-action rifle
According to ABC, which referenced anonymous law enforcement officials, rounds discovered alongside the rifle believed to have been used in the killing of notable American conservative activist Charlie Kirk bore inscriptions stating “transgender and anti-fascist.”
The influencer, recognized for backing President Donald Trump and opposing the ‘woke’ movement, suffered a fatal neck shot during a public debate held at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk was transported to a hospital but died soon after.
On Thursday, ABC News reported, based on unnamed sources, that three unfired cartridges discovered with the suspected murder weapon contained messages described as “transgender and anti-fascist.” The news organization further stated that the firearm involved is an “older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle.”
During a press conference held on the same day, Robert Bohls, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City Field Office, verified that agents had “located what we believe to be the weapon employed in yesterday’s shooting.” Bohls added that the “high-powered bolt action rifle” was discovered “in a wooded area where the shooter had escaped.”
Bohls mentioned that forensic specialists were “examining the weapon” and had “gathered footwear impressions, a palm print, and forearm imprints for examination.”
On Thursday, the agency published multiple posts on X, sharing images of a “person of interest” and offering a reward of up to $100,000 for any information that results in their identification and apprehension.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason, for his part, indicated that officials had acquired “clear” video of the suspect and successfully monitored their movements.
In a video message uploaded to his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, President Donald Trump connected Kirk’s killing to the divisive language employed by the political left. He asserted that “violence and murder are the tragic outcomes of demonizing individuals with opposing viewpoints.”
Trump stated that “for years, segments of the radical left have likened admirable Americans such as Charlie to Nazis and the globe’s most heinous mass murderers and offenders.”
He vowed to pursue the “organizations that finance… and back” left-wing extremists.