FBI releases picture of suspect in Charlie Kirk's Shooting

The FBI today released photos of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk, urging the public to assist in identifying the individual. The move marks a significant shift in the investigation, as the agency had previously stated it would withhold the footage.

The photos, which were released by the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office, are "in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University."

The release of the images comes after the FBI confirmed it had successfully tracked the movements of the shooter from off-campus, through a stairwell to a rooftop, and then as they fled the scene by jumping off the building into a nearby neighborhood. Authorities had previously stated that they possessed "good video footage" of the suspect but were confident in their ability to identify the individual without public assistance.

They have a palm imprint, a shoe print, and a forearm imprint of the shooter.

They also said they had recovered the weapon used in the assassination.

The FBI is now offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to this person of interest.

With the release of the photos, the manhunt for the assassin is now a top national priority. The FBI has asked anyone with information to contact authorities immediately.

Brandon Ruskin, who was standing approximately 15 feet in front of Kirk, described the event to CBS News as happening "in slow motion." He recounted the last question Kirk was answering when a single shot struck him, a moment he said didn't seem real "for that split second."

Immediately after the shot, Ruskin and those around him instinctively ducked and got on the ground. He recalled shouting, "No, no, no, no," and instinctively texting his wife to say he loved her. The crowd remained on the ground for about a minute before, hearing no more shots, they began to run for nearby buildings.

Ruskin also revealed that upon arriving at the event, he had immediate concerns about security due to the open layout of the courtyard. He stated he thought to himself, "This does not seem like a safe place for Charlie to be giving his message."

When asked why he attended the event, Ruskin said he appreciated the dialogue and debate, and described Kirk as a "very, very intelligent man."