Haunting video showed a figure lying flat on a rooftop just moments before Charlie Kirk was fatally shot as chaos erupts at the Utah event.
The chilling footage also showed the person frantically flee at the Utah Valley University event, where 31-year-old Kirk was speaking on Wednesday afternoon.
Witnesses claim there were no security measures in place. University police said only six officers were at the campus event that hosted about 3,000 people.
The conservative commentator was struck in the neck by a single bullet while addressing the crowd about mass shootings.
An elderly man was initially taken into custody by police following the shooting but was later released after being confirmed not to be the gunman.
Hours afterward, a second ‘person of interest’ was detained, however, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed to X that this individual was also released after interrogation -as the manhunt for the shooter continued.
Security protocols and local police at the event are now facing fierce backlash as haunting footage emerges of an unknown figure lurking on the roof.
‘I was expecting when I got here that I’d have to pass through some kind of security, but that just wasn’t a thing,’ witness Tyler McGettigan told NBC News.
McGettigan arrived at the event equipped with a valid ticket featuring a scannable code, yet remarkably, his ticket went unchecked as he entered the amphitheater where Kirk was scheduled to speak.
Charlie Kirk (pictured), 31, has died after being shot in the neck by a single bullet while speaking to a crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday afternoon
In the new video footage shared on X, a figure is seen lying flat and motionless on the roof of the Losee Center – roughly 200 yards from Kirk – just moments before the shot rang out (pictured)
Another video shared to X, captured in the moments after the shooting from what appears to be from inside a campus building, pans across the room – and in a brief moment, an individual can be seen sprinting across the same rooftop (pictured)
The conservative commentator was struck in the neck by a single bullet while addressing the crowd about mass shootings (pictured)
‘No one checked the barcode or the QR code,’ he told the outlet. ‘There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally anyone could walk in if they wanted.’
Justin Hickens, who said he was about 20 yards from the shooting, told NBC there were no metal detectors at the event entrance. The only security he observed was a small group of personnel stationed near Kirk himself.
Another attendee, Raydon Dechene, echoed concerns about the minimal security, noting that there were no bag checks – a detail that ‘felt off’ to him, as reported by CNN.
During a press conference, University Police Chief Jeff Long described the event as taking place ‘in kind of a bowl area here on the central campus,’ where Kirk was positioned in a lower section surrounded by buildings.
In addition to Kirk’s personal security team, plainclothes police officers were already present within the crowd.
‘We trained for these things. And you think you have things covered. And these things, unfortunately, they happen. You try to get your bases covered,’ Long said. ‘And unfortunately, today we didn’t, and because of that, we had this tragic incident.’
In the new video footage shared on X, a figure is seen lying flat and motionless on the roof of the Losee Center – roughly 200 yards from Kirk – just moments before the shot rang out.
An elderly man identified as George Zinn (pictured) was initially taken into custody by police following the shooting but was later released after being confirmed not to be the gunman
Hours afterward, a second ‘person of interest’ was detained, however, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed to X that this individual was also released after interrogation – meaning the manhunt for the shooter continues (pictured: attendees fleeing from scene)
Security protocols and local police at the event are now facing fierce backlash, with attendees claiming there were no security measures in place – no checkpoints, bag checks, or metal detectors to get inside (pictured: Kirk speaking before shooting)
Another video shared to X, captured in the moments after the shooting from what appears to be inside a campus building, pans across the room – and in a brief moment, an individual can be seen sprinting across the same rooftop.
The only footage of the suspect came from campus CCTV, which authorities immediately began analyzing.
‘We do have that we’re analyzing it, but it is security camera footage, so you can kind of guess what the quality of that is,’ Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said.
‘We do know dressed in all dark clothing. We don’t have much better description,’ he added.
Just after 12pm, Kirk was answering his second question on the topic of mass shootings – specifically, whether he knew how many had involved a transgender shooter.
He responded and began to take another question – but before he could answer, a shot rang out.
‘We just saw Charlie Kirk’s neck turn to the side and it appeared that he had been shot in the neck,’ reporter Emma Pitts told The Guardian. ‘There was blood, immediately a lot of blood.’
University student Sawyer Carr, 18, told the Daily Mail that although the sound resembled a ‘large clap,’ Kirk was immediately bleeding profusely.
In addition to Kirk’s personal security team, plainclothes police officers were already present within the crowd. But despite a crowd of over 3,000 attendees, only six officers were on duty
The shooting occurred just after 12pm, while Kirk was answering his second question on the topic of mass shootings – specifically, whether he knew how many had involved a transgender shooter
The father-of-two (pictured with family), known for his fierce MAGA views and thrilling debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit by gunfire
Conservative activist Greg Adams was also at the event, when he heard the single deadly shot – and described the gory aftermath as nothing short of shocking while recalling the pools of blood all over the area (pictured: attendees running after gunshot)
‘I hear a gun fire. Then his neck drops back, he starts gushing blood, and he just folds over,’ Carr said.
The father-of-two, known for his fierce MAGA views and thrilling debates with college kids across the country, collapsed immediately after being hit by gunfire.
Students at the event were seen running and screaming in shock after witnessing the bloody scene unfold in front of their eyes.
Zachary Morris, who attended the event with his 3-year-old daughter, described a wave of confusion followed by ‘mass panic’ in the crowd the moment the shot was fired.
‘All I could think was that I gotta get my daughter out of there,’ the father told the NYT.
Sara Tewell, a student at Utah Valley University, told ABC News: ‘Blood was gushing everywhere.’
‘A friend and I ran into a building and ran out and down the street just trying to get to safety,’ she added.
Conservative activist Greg Adams was also at the event, seated at ground level near the back of the crowd when he heard the single deadly shot – and described the gory aftermath as nothing short of shocking.
Zachary Morris, who attended the event with his 3-year-old daughter, described a wave of confusion followed by ‘mass panic’ in the crowd the moment the shot was fired (pictured: aftermath)
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social nearly five hours hours later, offering his sympathies to his wife and family
Reports suggested that Zinn (pictured) – the first arrest made – had made remarks about the shooting as he was being detained, while separate footage showed him repeatedly urging the crowd to ‘shoot him’
‘I went down to where he was sitting afterwards. There was blood all over the area,’ Adams told Daily Mail. ‘You can see all the blood that was pooled and the scatter from around the shot.’
Adams also told the outlet that he believes the shooter ‘staged themselves’ in or on a building to secure a clear shot.
‘It would be hard for them to just pull a rifle out and get a steady shot off from a crowded walkway,’ he added.
President Donald Trump announced Kirk’s death on Truth Social nearly five hours hours later, offering his sympathies to his wife and family.
‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ Trump wrote. ‘No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie.’
‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us,’ he added.
Amid the chaos that followed, a suspect was almost immediately apprehended at the scene – only to be later cleared, as the real shooter remained at large, triggering a frantic manhunt involving four law enforcement agencies.
The elderly man detained at the scene was identified as George Zinn, but he was later ruled out as matching the shooter’s description, according to NBC.
Students at the event were seen running and screaming in shock after witnessing the bloody scene unfold in front of their eyes (pictured)
On Wednesday evening, FBI Director Patel announced that authorities had taken a person of interest into custody, but confirmed the suspect was released just over an hour later following a police interrogation (pictured: Kirk before shooting)
Kirk (pictured) leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, along with their three-year-old son and 16-month-old daughter
Reports suggested that Zinn made remarks about the shooting as he was being detained, while separate footage showed him repeatedly urging the crowd to ‘shoot him.’
‘How dare you, you f***ing monster!’ one yelled as Zinn walked away with his trousers down.
Carr told the Daily Mail that Zinn was seated just a few rows behind him at the event and claimed that Zinn took responsibility immediately after the shooting.
‘He claimed he did it. He started yelling it. But he didn’t even have a gun,’ Carr said.
‘He was only a few rows behind me,’ he added. ‘It definitely wasn’t him. He didn’t have anything on him.’
During a later press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox confirmed that while Zinn was cleared as the shooter, he was still charged with obstructing justice.
Adams, who organizes for the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, said that Zinn had previously volunteered for him and described him as a ‘nice guy.’
‘He’s really active in everything, conservative and libertarian events,’ he told Daily Mail. ‘He’s a nice guy. I’ve never had any issue with him.’
Then, on Wednesday evening, FBI Director Patel revealed that authorities have taken a person of interest into custody.
‘The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody,’ Patel wrote to X.
During a press conference, Utah Governor Spencer Cox reiterated that authorities did have ‘a person of interest in custody, who is being interviewed right now.’
‘I want to be very clear that this is a political assassination,’ Cox said, though he did not disclose how he determined the suspected shooter’s motive.
Cox also stated that there was no evidence indicating the involvement of a second shooter.
But just over an hour after news of the second suspect was made public, Patel revealed that the individual had been released.
‘The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,’ he wrote to X. ‘Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.’
Kirk leaves behind his wife, Erika Frantzve, along with their three-year-old son and 16-month-old daughter.
