Authorities say they have recovered a high-powered rifle from the scene in Oren in the US state of Utah, where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated late on Wednesday during a an event at a university campus.
Officials say they believe the gunman, who is yet to be identified, jumped off a roof and fled into a neighbourhood after firing one shot directly into Kirk’s neck as he debated students as part of an event with his youth organisation Turning Point USA.
The shooter appeared to be of “college age” and is believed to have blended in on the campus where Kirk was shot, authorities said. Investigations are still ongoing to identify the assailant and the possible motives behind the tragic incident.
The FBI says Kirk’s assassination is being investigated as a matter of political violence.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Federal, state and local authorities were working jointly on what they called “multiple active crime scenes.”
“This is a dark day for our state. It’s a tragic day for our nation,” Utah Governor Spencer Cox said. “I want to be very clear this is a political assassination.”
Two people were detained on Wednesday, but neither was determined to be connected to the shooting, and both were consequently released, according to public safety officials.
The circumstances of the shooting drew renewed attention to an escalating threat of political violence in the US that, in the last several years, has cut across the political spectrum.
The assassination drew widespread domestic condemnation from Democratic and Republican lawmakers. International condemnation also poured in support of Kirk, with many European politicians weighing in on the matter and condemning his murder.
Videos posted to social media from Utah Valley University show Kirk speaking into a handheld microphone while sitting under a white tent with the slogans “The American Comeback” and “Prove Me Wrong”.
Spectators were stunned after a shot rang out, after which Kirk was seen raising his hands in the air as a large volume of blood gushed out of his neck.
His death came just one day before Washington was set to mark a major turning point in its recent history — the 24th anniversary of the 11 September attacks on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump, in a video statement, declared Kirk a political martyr on Thursday, accusing the “radical left” of orchestrating his assassination. Trump pledged to avenge his death and hold all those responsible to account.