7:05 p.m.

In an evening update, FBI Director Kash Patel tweeted, “The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.”

5:40 p.m.

At a press conference, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called Kirk’s death a “political assassination.” He said there is a “person of interest” in custody. That person is being interviewed right now. It is a different person than the man initially detained after the shooting. The initial man who was detained has been released.

“Whoever did this, we will find you,” Cox said.

He also referred to the fatal shooting of Democratic Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband in June as political assassinations.

5:25 p.m.

According to Phil Lewis, a person suspected in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk is now in custody. FBI Director Kash Patel shared on Twitter that “The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody.”

4:50 p.m.

Charlie Kirk was not shy about his stances as a right-wing agitator. His comments in the past include calling George Floyd, who was murdered by ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, a scumbag and repeating debunked rhetoric about Floyd.

Known as a MAGA influencer, Kirk spoke at the Republican National Convention in both 2016 and 2020. He was outspoken in his opposition to the teaching of Critical Race Theory, which he claimed promoted hate.

Kirk was the co-founder of the conservative nonprofit, Turning Point USA. The organization boasted a “Turning Point Live” show, which was aimed at a Gen Z audience. Kirk would often visit college campuses where he called out schools for teaching about this country’s racist history.

Kirk’s history also includes discrediting the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated in April 1968.

“We made a huge mistake when we passed the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s,” Kirk said during a political convention called America Fest in 2023. Kirk referred to King Jr. as “awful.”

Last month, Kirk called for the full military occupation of American cities, supporting Trump in his call to deploy the National Guard to Chicago. In his statements, Kirk said that the country has “a teenage problem,” specifically pointing to Chicago. 

“Simple fix. You steal a car, 25 years in prison,” Kirk said. “I don’t care if you’re a teenager. I don’t care if — ‘well, I was raised without a dad.’ Well, you’re going to go meet a new dad in jail. We’re done. We’re not putting up with it. We need more prisons, and we need more prisoners.

In 2023, Kirk also stated that gun deaths were “worth it” to protect our Second Amendment rights.