FBI issues major update in search for shooter behind Charlie Kirk assassination

The FBI has issued an update on the investigation into who killed Charlie Kirk.

The right-wing political activist was killed by a single gunshot at the Utah Valley University campus, where he was speaking on Wednesday (10 September).

Federal, state and local authorities have been working on 'multiple active crime scenes' and now there has been a huge 'breakthrough'.

Issuing an update in a press conference today (11 September), Beau Mason, the commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, said: "We were able to track the movements of the shooter starting at 11:52 am. This subject arrived on campus shortly away from campus.

"We have tracked his movements onto the campus through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof, to a shooting location."

The FBI has issued a major update on the Charlie Kirk investigation (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

He added: "After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled, off of the campus and into a neighbourhood."

FBI agent Robert Bohls also confirmed that they have located the gun that believe was used to kill Kirk.

He said: "I can tell you that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon to be that was used in yesterday's shooting is a high powered bolt action rifle.

"That rifle was was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. The FBI laboratory will be analysing this weapon."

Answering a question from a reporter at the conference, Mason gave the first details about the suspect - that he 'appears to be of college age'.

He added that the person 'blended in well with the college institution' but officials are 'not releasing many details right now'.

"We will soon. But right now, we're not," Mason assured.

The FBI are also analysing a 'footwear impression, a palm print and a forearm imprint', reports the BBC.

Meanwhile, Bohls confirmed that the FBI do have images of the shooter and 'don't believe the community is at risk'.

Kirk was fatally shot at a Utah college event yesterday (The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)

Kirk was around 20 minutes into his speech when the bullet hit him in the neck, with graphic social media videos circulating of the horrifying moment.

He was in the middle of addressing the 3,000-strong crowd on stage, as part of his 'The American Comeback Tour'.

Moments before he was shot, an attendee asked him: "Do you know many transgender Americans have been shooters over the last 10 years?"

"Too many," the conservative initially replied.

After telling Kirk the answer was 'five', the same audience member went on to ask how many mass shooters there had been in America over the last 10 years.

Querying back, Kirk asked, 'Counting or not counting gang violence?' in what would prove to be his final statement.

Then, a single shot ran out and his security team rushed to his aid, before he was later confirmed to have died.