The man responsible for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk remains at large, as authorities continue their search and urge the public for assistance. Investigators have released photos and video of a person believed to be involved in Wednesday’s shooting at Utah Valley University. Kirk, a 31-year-old author, podcast host, and prominent figure in the conservative youth movement, was struck in the neck by a single rifle shot during a campus event attended by around 3,000 people. President Donald Trump confirmed that authorities were making progress in tracking down the gunman.

Officials have identified the man seen in surveillance footage as a person of interest, not an official suspect. Video shows him walking across the roof where the shot was fired, then descending and leaving the campus. Investigators later recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle from a nearby wooded area, believed to have been used in the attack.

Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said the suspect left behind palm prints and shoe imprints, which may provide crucial evidence. Governor Spencer Cox, joined by FBI Director Kash Patel, appealed to the public for tips, noting that more than 7,000 leads have already been submitted. The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Kirk’s killer. The shooting comes amid a period of heightened political violence in the United States. Since the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, more than 300 politically motivated acts of violence have been documented across the ideological spectrum.

Kirk, a husband and father of two, was a key figure in Trump’s MAGA movement. Vice President JD Vance credited him with helping secure Trump’s 2024 election victory. Vance traveled to Utah to be with Kirk’s family and accompany his casket back to Arizona aboard Air Force Two. Trump announced plans to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, calling him “a great person, especially with youth.”