Pic: Charlie Kirk assassin allegedly linked to transgender ideology: Report

A new report suggests that the assassin suspect who fatally shot Christian, conservative activist, and Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk on Wednesday has allegedly been linked to a weapon with cartridges “expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology.” 

In a Thursday post on X, formerly Twitter, conservative commentator Steven Crowder claimed that his team received an email from an officer with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) that shows a screenshot of an alleged internal message regarding the discovery of a weapon and cartridges near the scene of the assassination attempt.

The email stated that Kirk was shot and killed at roughly 12:24 p.m. (local time) on Wednesday at Utah Valley University while holding an event as part of his “American Comeback Tour.” According to the screenshot, the suspect allegedly “fired one shot from an elevated position on a rooftop in an adjacent building on the campus and surveillance video shows the suspect, jumping off and fleeing the area on foot.”

“ATF and other law-enforcement located an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus,” the screenshot stated. “The location of the firearm appears to match the suspects route of travel. 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 screenshot shared by Crowder claimed that law enforcement officials submitted an emergency trace for the firearm and that the ATF was “working leads” based on the emergency trace. The screenshot also claimed that the firearm and ammunition are being analyzed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The alleged ATF email noted that the suspect responsible for Wednesday’s assassination has not yet been identified; however, the email confirmed that the FBI, the Utah State Bureau of Investigation, the ATF, and other local, state, and federal agencies are investigating the fatal shooting of Kirk. 

During a Thursday press conference at Utah Valley University, FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls confirmed that officials believe they have recovered the firearm that was used by the suspect to assassinate Kirk. Bohls described the firearm as a “high powered bolt action rifle.”

“That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. So the FBI laboratory will be analyzing this weapon,” Bohls said. “Investigators have also collected footwear, the impression of a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.”

Bohls explained that law enforcement officials are still conducting a manhunt for the assassination suspect and are “not sure how far he has gone.”