【Text by Observers Net, Xiong Chaoran】On September 10 local time, American conservative political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speech at a university in Utah. After the incident, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) immediately launched a full-scale search for the suspect, but after 24 hours, the perpetrator remained at large.

On September 11 local time, the FBI released two photos of the suspect, stating that they were "suspects related to the Charlie Kirk shooting case." The blurry photos show a man wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a black long-sleeve shirt with an image on it that appears to include part of the American flag. In one photo, the person is walking along a wall; in another, he seems to be going up the stairs. Police previously stated that a video they had showed a suspect walking up the stairs to the roof, where the shooting took place.

The New York Times reported that the FBI's efforts to identify the suspect using facial recognition technology have failed, and officials now need public assistance to catch the person through more clues. Beau Mason, director of the Utah State Public Safety Department, revealed at a press conference the day before: "The only information we have about the suspect comes from closed-circuit television in the campus. We do have footage, which is being analyzed, but it's surveillance footage, so you can probably guess what the quality is like."

The New York Times also cited an unverified preliminary report circulating within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that found ammunition found on the rifle possibly used to kill Kirk seemed to have inscriptions indicating "transgender and anti-fascist ideology." However, the report emphasized that this has not been verified by ATF analysts.

Two blurry suspect photos released by the FBI earlier

Later, the Utah State Public Safety Department released four additional suspect photos, with better lighting and clarity compared to the two photos released by the FBI earlier. In the photos, the suspect is seen carrying a black backpack and moving up and down the stairs. However, as of the time of this writing, there has been no news of the suspect being arrested.

Four additional suspect photos released later Utah State Public Safety Department

Trump responds again, suggesting there are "words" on the suspected firearm and ammunition

According to CNN, on September 11 local time, after releasing the suspect's photos, the FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information. Earlier that day, President Trump told reporters as he left the White House, "I heard they made significant progress, we'll see."

Trump said he plans to attend a memorial service for Kirk in Arizona in the coming days and has already contacted Kirk's widow, who is "devastated." When asked if he was concerned about his own safety after the incident yesterday, Trump said "not at all," and again blamed current political violence in the United States on the "radical left."

According to audio forensics experts, audio recorded near the location of Kirk's speech yesterday afternoon indicated that the conservative activist was shot by a supersonic bullet. Usually, supersonic bullets are fired by high-powered weapons, which rules out the possibility of the attack using small pistols or other weapons firing subsonic bullets.

Analysis found that the time interval between the "crack" sound of the bullet's shockwave and the "bang" of the muzzle blast was approximately 240 milliseconds. Based on this time interval, the bullet speed was calculated to be 800 meters per second, meaning the gun should have been located about 153 meters from Kirk's speaking location. At the same time, sources said that law enforcement found some inscriptions related to cultural issues on a rifle and its ammunition that were found during the search.

The red circle indicates the location where Kirk was shot, and the blue circle indicates the possible rooftop location where the suspect fired the shot. The New York Times

The New York Times cited an unverified preliminary report circulating within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that found ammunition found on the rifle possibly used to kill Kirk seemed to have inscriptions indicating "transgender and anti-fascist ideology."

A senior law enforcement official directly involved in the investigation warned that the report had not been verified by ATF analysts and did not match other evidence summaries, and could be misinterpreted or distorted. The report noted that such reports are usually not made public during rapidly advancing investigations because they often mix accurate and inaccurate information.

Close friend of Trump, posthumously awarded a medal

Kirk had a close relationship with Trump. After his assassination, Trump ordered the lowering of the national flag to half-mast in mourning. CNN reported that at the ceremony commemorating the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Trump announced that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given by the U.S. president to civilians.

The New York Times noted that Kirk's death was not announced by his personal spokesperson or local law enforcement, but by President Trump on social media, which is extremely rare. Trump's expressed sorrow and anger after the incident also demonstrated the importance of this 31-year-old conservative figure to Trump personally, and even to the entire Trump family.

Trump and Kirk, photo

Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., had a particularly close relationship with Kirk, who was attracted by Kirk's fundraising capabilities. "I have a very high opinion of him," Donald Trump Jr. said in an interview earlier this year: "He's not one of those young people who just talks online. Charlie Kirk is efficient, and he's good at everything from organizing campus activities to building relationships with donors."

Kirk co-founded "Turning Point USA" with others at the age of 18, an organization dedicated to promoting conservatism on college campuses and among young voters. It is the largest conservative youth organization in the United States and played a key role in mobilizing young voters to support Trump. In 2019, Kirk founded "Turning Point Action," another non-profit advocacy organization supporting conservative candidates.

From the summer of 2016, Kirk frequently visited the White House through the introduction of Donald Trump Jr., and their relationship became closer after Trump's defeat in the 2020 election. In February 2021, shortly after the Capitol riot, Kirk visited Mar-a-Lago to visit Trump, who was in a difficult situation at the time.

The New York Times noted that Trump's fondness for Kirk, a young external advisor, is evident. Kirk is one of the few who can benefit from his relationship with Trump without angering him. In addition, Kirk was an early supporter of Vice President Vance's campaign for senator and was a key figure in encouraging Trump to choose Vance as his running mate in the 2024 election.

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observers Net, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548976707823288870/

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