FBI Director Kash Patel announced on Wednesday evening that a subject in custody in connection with the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk has been released — barely an hour after the announcement they were in custody in the first place.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck during a political event at Utah Valley University in Orem earlier in the day, prompting a mass panic and the complete evacuation of the campus. He was taken for medical treatment in critical condition and died of his injuries.
"The subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk is now in custody," Patel stated earlier in the evening in a post to X. "Thank you to the local and state authorities in Utah for your partnership with @fbi. We will provide updates when able."
But not too long after, Patel followed up with another post saying, "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."
This follows a viral image of an older man being arrested, mistakenly identified as the shooter, which was later revealed to be false.
The shooter remains unidentified and presumed at large, as of press time.