Manhunt, the murderer of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, expanded late Wednesday after authorities said two people who were detained and questioned in the shooting for no connection to the crime were released.
Kirk was assassinated by a gunman earlier in the day as he spoke to a crowd of thousands of people at Utah Valley University in Orem.
“We initially took over George Zinn as the suspect. He was later released and charged with obstruction by UVU police,” the Utah Department of Public Safety said in a breaking news released late Wednesday.
“The second suspect, Zakaria Kureshi, was taken into custody and released after questioning with law enforcement,” DPS said.
“There is no current connection to shooting with any of these individuals,” they added. “There’s a continuous investigation and manhunt for the shooter.”
The department said “multiple active crime scenes” were being dealt with.
According to the university, the gunman who killed Kirk fired him 200 yards from campus, 200 yards from where he was talking, and hit him once in the neck.
Kirk was taken to a nearby hospital and was declared dead several hours later, DPS said.
President Donald Trump has announced Kirk’s death on social media.
“It’s a political assassination,” Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said at a press conference.
“I want to make this clear to anyone right now, but we find you, we’ll try you, and we’ll be accountable to you to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox speaks to Chief Jeff Long, Utah Valley University Police Commissioner of Police in Kellerville, Utah Valley University campus, after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a visit to Turning Point in Orem, Utah, Utah.
Hannah Schoenbaum | AP Photo
The initial efforts to inform the public about the investigation were complicated on Wednesday when FBI director Kash Patel took the extraordinary step of announcing on social media that the “subject” of Kirk’s murder was taken into custody.
Typically, major updates to high-profile investigations are made directly by local government or local FBI agents at the bureau meeting. This is not the director, it is not social media.
“The subject of today’s horrifying shooting that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,” wrote Patel. “We would like to thank Utah local and state authorities for our partnership with the @FBI. We will provide updates if possible.”
Patel did not identify the suspect at the time, so it is not clear whether he means Qureshi and Zinn.
An hour later, Patel returned his first statement.
“The subject in custody was announced after law enforcement interrogation. Our investigation continues and we will continue to publish information for transparency,” Patel writes about X.
UVU cancelled classes for the rest of the week and told those remaining on campus on Wednesday that they would “have to be in place until officers can safely escort them from campus.”
Kirk was 31 at the time of his death and was a married father of two young children.
“Great and even legendary, Charlie Kirk is dead,” Trump wrote in the Social Post of Truth.
“He didn’t understand or have the center of the youth in the United States better than Charlie,” Trump wrote.
American right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk appeared at the Utah Valley University Speaking Event in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025.
Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribu | Via Reuters
“He is not with everyone, especially me, and now he is not with us. Melania and my sympathy goes out to his beautiful wife Erica and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Trump ordered the US flag to be reduced to half the price by Sunday in Kirk’s honor.
Kirk was a co-founder of Turning Point USA, and its leader was a movement aimed at young conservatives. Turning Point and several other related political organisations have raised hundreds of millions of dollars and helped Trump twice push the White House.
Kirk was also a personal friend of several members of the Trump family, and many other top management staff and White House Attafer were personal friends.
American right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk throws his hat at the crowd just before he is shot at the Utah Valley University speaking event in Orem, Utah on September 10, 2025.
Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribu | Via Reuters
He was in charge on Wednesday for the first stop on Turning Point’s “American Comeback Tour” stop, according to the group’s website.
The event was characterized by Kirk sitting at his “provement my wrong table.” This is a form of discussion of those who challenged his political views.
UVU is Utah’s largest public university and as of fall 2023, it has nearly 47,000 registered students.
Shortly before filming, Kirk tweeted about the event.
“We’re back,” Kirk wrote to X.
The scene after our right-wing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk was filmed at the Utah Valley University Speaking Event held in Orem, Utah, on September 10, 2025.
Trent Nelson/Salt Lake Tribu | Via Reuters
Jason Chaffetz, a former Republican Rep. in Utah, told Fox News that he was attending the event with his family.
Kirk was being asked about “transgender shooting, mass shooting” just before he was shot, Chaffetz said.
“As soon as this shot came, everyone bumped into the deck and everyone started splattering and screaming, just like you might imagine,” Chaffetz said. “I can’t say I saw blood. I can’t say I saw him shot, but as soon as the shot came out, he fell to the left and everyone hit the deck.”
Kirk’s wife, Erica Kirk, tweeted a biblical poem after filming.
“Psalm sal 46:1 – God is our shelter, our strength, and very present in trouble,” writes Erica Kirk.
Charlie Kirk will speak at the City Hall Conference held in Ocononowoc, Wisconsin on Monday, March 17, 2025.
Jeffrey Phelps | AP
Officials and others elected from both sides of the political aisle have issued statements of support for Kirk after his death was announced, after Agriculture Dol.
“We have no place for this type of violence in our country,” former President Joe Biden wrote in a tweet.
“It has to be over now. Jill and I pray for Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent said, “Please rest in peace with my friend, Charlie Kirk. My heart is with his loved one in this devastating time. This inexcusable violence belongs nowhere in a civilized society.
Jack Schlossberg, whose grandfather, President John Kennedy, was assassinated in November 1963, told X: “Today, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We are all weak because of that. Tragedy. I’m thinking about his family.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson, r-la. wrote, “It’s totally devastating. Charlie was a close friend and best friend. He’s going to be so badly overlooked by so many.”
“All political leaders must denounce this violence loudly and clearly. Our prayers are directed at his wife and young children.
Gifford, a former Democrat who was shot in the head by a gunman in Tucson, Arizona in 2011, said, “The murder of Charlie Kirk breaks my heart. My deepest sympathy lies in his wife, two young children and friends.”
“There are always political differences in democratic society, but we should never allow America to become a country that confronts those differences with violence. Attacks on political or ideological opponents are coronavirus, non-Americans and must be universally condemned.”
Gabby Giffords, a former US representative from Arizona, will speak at a press conference at the National Mall in Washington, DC, USA on Tuesday, June 7, 2022.
Eric Lee | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said, “It is clear that Charlie was assassinated in his political views. I hope that the terrorists who killed him will be caught and justice will be swift.”
“Charlie will be remembered for his kindness, loyalty and dedication to America,” Lutnick wrote.
Former President Barack Obama tweeted, “We don’t know what motivated the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk, but this kind of sleazy violence has no place in our democracy.”
“Michelle and I pray tonight for Charlie’s family, especially his wife Erica and their two young children,” Obama wrote.
Minutes after Kirk was shot, several people were shot in another attack at Evergreen High School, west of Denver, Colorado.
Law enforcement officials will respond to a shooting at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, Colorado on Wednesday, September 10, 2025.
Hai Oonchan | Denver Post | Getty Images
A hospital spokesperson later told NBC News that one boy died of injuries while another was in serious condition. The third young man had been moved to another facility in a stable state. According to law enforcement, one of these three individuals was suspected of being a shooter.
Kirk’s murder also comes from Minnesota Sen. Melissa Hortman, nearly three months after the gunman killed Minnesota Sen. Melissa Hortman, a Democrat who previously served as speakers. The person also injured Minnesota Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman.
The suspect in that case, Vance Boerter, faces pending state and federal criminal charges.
As part of Kirk’s political activities, he was an outspoken advocate for the Second Amendment.
However, Kirk’s previous statement about firearms won a new cast on Wednesday in the wake of his assassination.
At a Turning Point USA event in April 2023 at a church in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kirk was asked how to persuade gun control supporters that “it’s important that you have the right to protect yourself and all that good.”
Kirk replied, “I will never live in society when I have armed citizens,” according to audio recordings and transcripts.
“It’s nonsense. It’s a drive,” he said. “But… I think it’s worth it. Unfortunately, I think it’s worth the cost of some gun deaths each year so that we can have a second amendment to protect other God-given rights. That’s a sensible deal. That’s reasonable.”
– CNBC’s Erin Doherty contributed to this story.
