Rifle With Engraved Ammo Recovered in Hunt for Charlie Kirk’s Assassin

Charlie Kirk leaves behind his wife and two children

A rifle recovered in the manhunt for the assassin of conservative activist Charlie Kirk contained ammunition engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” according to preliminary reports from law enforcement sources.

The weapon, an imported .30-06-caliber Mauser bolt-action rifle, was found wrapped in a towel by investigators in a wooded area after the fatal shooting at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. Kirk, 31, the founder of Turning Point USA, was shot once in the neck while speaking at the event. The single round was reportedly fired from a distance of about 200 yards, with investigators believing it was a high-caliber bullet commonly used in sniper rifles or for hunting big game.

A bolt-action rifle recovered near the scene where Charlie Kirk was fatally shot is seen in a photo

Kirk, a father of two, was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities confirmed that the shot struck him while he was answering an audience member’s question about mass shootings committed by transgender individuals.

A Justice Department review is underway to confirm whether the rifle and ammunition described in an ATF memo match the evidence recovered at the scene.

A surveillance image of the person of interest wanted for the shooting of Charlie Kirk

The FBI, supported by multiple agencies, is continuing the search for the gunman. A possible suspect briefly detained Wednesday night was released after interrogation, according to FBI director Kash Patel. Investigators have since released surveillance photos of a “person of interest,” described as a tall, slender male dressed in dark clothing and wearing wraparound sunglasses.

The assassination prompted swift reaction nationwide. During his commemorative Sept. 11 remarks at the Pentagon, President Donald Trump announced he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Trump described Kirk as a “very, very good friend of mine” and mourned his loss, later praising him on Truth Social as “Great and even Legendary,” adding that “no one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.”

Police believe Kirk was killed by a Mauser .30-06 rifle, according to reports