Trump To Award Charlie Kirk Posthumous Presidential Medal
…Rifle Found But Shooter Remains At Large – FBI
President Donald Trump announced Thursday he will posthumously award conservative activist Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, as manhunt continues for the gunman who killed him during a campus event in Utah.
Speaking during a ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, Trump called Kirk “a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions,”
He offered condolences to Kirk’s wife, Erika, and their two children, describing them as “fantastic people.”
“We miss him greatly. Yet I have no doubt that Charlie’s voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on,” Trump said.
Authorities said they have recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to have been used in the shooting, which was found in a wooded area near Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed.
The FBI confirmed that the weapon and ammunition are undergoing forensic analysis, noting that some rounds had cultural phrases written on them.
BBC reports that investigators also collected a footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints, and are pursuing possible fingerprints and DNA evidence.
“We are exhausting all of our resources to be able to collect those, but that’s, again, part of the investigation,” said Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City office.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said authorities obtained “good video” of the suspect, described as a male who appears to be of college age, though the footage will not yet be released.
According to Mason, the gunman arrived on campus at 11:52 a.m. local time Wednesday, climbed to a rooftop to fire, then fled across the building, jumped down and disappeared into a nearby neighbourhood.
More than 130 tips have been received, and investigators are reviewing footage from doorbell and security cameras.
Mason confirmed he spoke with Erika Kirk on Wednesday evening, saying the family is “devastated.”
“The heinous event that happened yesterday is not Utah; this is not what we’re known for. We will not stand for what happened yesterday. We are exhausting every lead, we have every officer invested in this, every investigator, every local agency. We will catch this individual,” he told reporters.
Trump said he has been briefed on the investigation but knows little beyond what has been reported publicly.
“They have a virtual manhunt out there, so we’ll see what happens. But we hope we get him,” the president said.
Trump, visibly moved, said he plans to speak personally with Kirk’s family and promised that the activist “will never be forgotten.”
Trump To Award Charlie Kirk Posthumous Presidential Medal is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
