Confusion and frustration mounted late Wednesday after FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the assassin who gunned down Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk remains at large — despite two separate people of interest being detained, interrogated, and later released.
FBI Walks Back Capture Claim
Just hours earlier, Patel had announced on social media that Kirk’s killer had been apprehended. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and law enforcement officials even held a press conference pointing to surveillance footage that led them to a suspect.
But by evening, Patel admitted the man in custody had been released after questioning.
“The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement,” Patel said. “Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”
Exonerated Attendee Speaks Out
The New York Post reported that the mother of the cleared person of interest said her son was a fan of Kirk and had attended the Utah Valley University event to hear him speak.
“He’s a great kid,” she said. “He’s like 25 feet from Charlie on the other side that he was shot. He sent us a video.”
She added that her son was “super shaken” both by witnessing the murder and then being detained as a suspect.
“He listens to him. He was attending like any other college kid,” she told the outlet.
A Second Wrongful Detention
The release marked the second time in less than a day that investigators had seized the wrong individual.
Earlier, police dragged away an older man whose pants were reportedly around his ankles. Officers told the crowd at the time that he had confessed. That man, too, was later cleared.
Assassin Still “In the Wind”
The rapid reversals have intensified pressure on law enforcement as the real shooter — who killed Kirk with a single bullet fired from roughly 200 yards away on UVU’s campus — remains unidentified and at large.
Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck while addressing students under a tent as part of his American Comeback Tour. He later succumbed to his injuries, President Donald Trump confirmed.
