Federal authorities confirmed Thursday that investigators recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, as reported [1] by The Post Millennial.
Reports indicate that ammunition found with the weapon contained engravings tied to transgender and Antifa ideology.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while speaking at an American Comeback Tour event on the Orem, Utah campus. According to law enforcement, the gunman fired a single round from an elevated position on the rooftop of an adjacent building before fleeing on foot.
Commentator Steven Crowder first reported details of an internal communication allegedly circulated within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
The email described the recovery of an older-model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle discovered in a wooded area near the university. The rifle was wrapped in a towel.
“The location of the firearm appears to match the suspect’s route of travel,” the email stated.
“The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds at the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them, expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology.”
The message went on to note that the rifle and ammunition were turned over to the FBI for DNA and fingerprint testing. Following forensic processing, agents plan to disassemble the weapon to track its importer information.
Its an odd coincidence that the question Charlie Kirk was answering while shot was about transgender violence and now we’re told the cartridges from the shooting were engraved with “transgender ideology”.
— Derrick Broze (@DBrozeLiveFree) September 11, 2025 [2]
Authorities at the press conference on Thursday confirmed recovery of the rifle, describing it as a “high-powered bolt action rifle.”
They also said surveillance footage had captured the suspect’s face. However, officials said they would not release the images publicly unless assistance is required to identify the shooter.
The ATF email also noted that “multiple people of interest” were contacted or briefly detained based on eyewitness accounts and video review.
EXCLUSIVE: This morning my team received an e-mail from officer at ATF.
The email included a screen shot from what appears to be an internal message describing a weapon and cartridges located by an ATF and other law enforcement near the scene of the Charlie Kirk shooting at… pic.twitter.com/UKtOUPY5DC [3]
— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) September 11, 2025 [4]
None have been named suspects, and investigators said the primary shooter remains unidentified. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the FBI, the Utah State Bureau of Investigation, ATF, and local police agencies.
FBI has recovered a high powered, bolt action rifle in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. pic.twitter.com/1T3jJCEEyP [5]
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 11, 2025 [6]
Kirk’s assassination shocked the conservative movement. He had been in the middle of a public question-and-answer session when he was struck by gunfire.
The event was one stop on his nationwide American Comeback Tour, which also included a scheduled appearance at Utah State University later in the month.
As of Thursday evening, no arrests had been made, and officials urged the public to provide information if they had knowledge of the shooter’s movements before or after the attack.
FBI reveals what they know about the shooter. pic.twitter.com/ZPeCTpu0uR [7]
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 11, 2025 [8]