A person of interest was questioned and released after conservative activist Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot and killed at Utah Valley University. The killing drew swift reaction across Houston and Texas while investigators continued their search.
On Wednesday, authorities interrogated and subsequently released a person of interest in connection with the deadly shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Meanwhile, investigators intensified a multi-agency search for the assailant who fired from a rooftop in the vicinity.
Kirk, 31, a co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot during an outdoor campus event, according to officials.
“The individual in custody has been released following an interrogation by law enforcement,” FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X, noting that investigators would continue to keep the public updated “in [the] interest of transparency.” Authorities have yet to disclose any information regarding a suspect or motive.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox denounced the killing as a “political assassination.” At the same time, footage shared on social media captured a single shot hitting Kirk as he spoke to attendees beneath a campus tent, prompting the crowd to scatter. Campus officials announced the closure as state and federal agents conducted operations in the surrounding area.
The Houston area experienced the effects swiftly. Houston media highlighted the responses from Texas officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, who condemned the violence and expressed their sympathies to Kirk’s family.
Campus organizations in Texas have begun coordinating tributes. The Texas A&M University chapter of Turning Point USA has scheduled a vigil for Kirk on Thursday evening. Kirk visited College Station this spring as part of his “American Comeback Tour.”
In Houston, Turning Point USA has established a registered student chapter at the University of Houston, highlighting the organization's presence on local campuses that frequently welcome prominent—and occasionally controversial—speakers.
The response from across the country continued to intensify. Former President Donald Trump, a close ally who praised Kirk’s efforts in youth outreach, shared a video expressing his sorrow and outrage about the assassination. Authorities are calling on the community to provide any information as they review video and ballistic data from the incident.
As of late Wednesday, authorities were still looking into the circumstances surrounding how a shooter accessed an elevated position to open fire in a densely populated area on campus. “This is a calculated political killing,” Cox stated.
