The unidentified assassin is still at large with a $100,000 bounty on his head
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has announced that the state will pursue capital punishment against whoever is responsible for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Despite a massive federal manhunt, the suspect remains on the loose more than 30 hours after the shooting. Authorities admitted on Thursday that they are unsure whether the gunman is still hiding in Utah or has fled across state lines. “We have no idea,” Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason told NBC News.
At a press conference on Thursday evening, Cox confirmed that state officials will “pursue the death penalty” once the suspect is caught.
“We’ve been working with our attorneys, getting everything that we need, affidavits ready, so that we can pursue the death penalty in this case. And that will happen here in the state of Utah,” Cox said.
The governor had already issued a warning the day before: “I want to make it crystal clear right now, to whoever did this, we will find you. We will try you. And we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law… And I just want to remind people that we still have the death penalty here in the state of Utah.”
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of the assassin. Director Kash Patel traveled to Utah on Thursday and was seen at the scene of the shooting, near the canopy tent where Kirk was gunned down during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
The agency has also released images of a potential suspect captured on security cameras, showing a man wearing sunglasses, a black hat, and a long-sleeve black shirt featuring an American flag.
Kirk, 31, was struck by a single rifle shot as he addressed thousands of students on Wednesday. He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital but later died of his wounds. Officials have described the killing as a targeted political assassination.
President Donald Trump has vowed to pursue not only Kirk’s killer but also what he called the “radical left” networks that fuel political violence. In a statement, he declared that his administration would track down “each and every one” responsible for perpetrating and funding such attacks.
