Richard Arnold: US Correspondent on the latest in the Charlie Kirk killing

Authorities say they are making significant progress in the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer.  

The highly influential conservative activist and Donald Trump ally died after being shot at an event at Utah Valley University yesterday morning.  

Investigators say they've recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle and have good quality video of their latest suspect. 

US Correspondent Richard Arnold told Mike Hosking there has been bipartisan denunciation of the murder. 

He says there have been statements not just from Trump, but every living former president condemning this attack and any and all political violence. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So said Richard Arnold.

Speaker 2 (00:01):
Morning.

Speaker 1 (00:02):
What do you make So where are we at? Well,
they're on the trail. The FBI has just postponed a
news conference due to what is being described as rapid development.
In this case. What we know is that police have
been scouring a residential area near to where the killing
of Charlie Kirk took place. So rapid developments, I guess
we'll find out. Shortly, the FBI had released photographs of

(00:22):
a university age man who had been described as the
key person of interest in the assassination of the trumpell
ion conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He is wearing sunglasses and
a black T shirt with some sort of message printed
over an American flag. There had been a bipartisan outpouring
of denunciation over the murder of this thirty one year old,
including statements by Trump and by every living former president

(00:45):
condemning this attack and any in all political violence that
doesn't silence some of the internet crazies. Of course, still,
Biden says there is no place for this kind of violence.
Obamacalls the murder despicable. Bush says there's sort of violence
and vitriol must be from the public square. In Clinton
has declared his sadness and anger. The murder is shocking
and reprehensible. The FBI and police have been at work

(01:08):
twenty four seven trying to track the killer. They found
his rifle, says Police Commissioner Beau Mason.

Speaker 2 (01:15):
He have recovered what we believe is the weapon that
was used in yesterday's shooting. There's a high powered bolt
action rifle. That rifle was recovered in a wooded area
where the shooter had flat well.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Political messages were scrawled on some of what was discovered,
including pro transgender and anti fascist messages on countridges. They
also found a screwdriver, suggesting the killer Praps had tried
to dismantle the weapon as he ran. There are videos
of the killings which I won't be playing, and I
won't include either the graphic testimony of some of the

(01:50):
devastated eyewitnesses young students. Still, some are speculating that others
beyond the shooter might have been involved. This student who
I'll play now and just spoken with Charlie Kirk in
their question and answer session, which Kirk could build as
proved me wrong.

Speaker 3 (02:06):
It was really weird because the second guests that I
talked to when before I went and asked him the
question what I was going to ask him, he was
talking to him about how he was going to ask
about transgenderism or something like that.

Speaker 1 (02:17):
Well, police detained two people of interest who later were cleared,
with police now saying they're not suspects, quote, they don't
deserve harassment, so leave them alone. On this side of
the dateline, it is, of course nine to eleven, the
twenty fourth remembrance of the attack on the World Trade
Center and the Pentagon and so on, and Trump spoke
at ground zero today starting with this, let.

Speaker 4 (02:38):
Me express the horror and grief so many Americans at
the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirker felt. Charlie was a
giant of his generation, a champion of liberty, and an
inspiration to millions and millions of people.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
Kirk was a close ally of many in the Trump team,
including Don Junior and JD. Vance, who has gone off
to Utah to pay respects to the kirk family, his
wife and two young children. Meantime, among those for whom
this brings back visceral memories is Senator Mark Kelly, whose wife,
of course, Gabby Giffords, was shot in the head in
twenty eleven and left partially disabled. He says, today.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
All sides of the political spectrum have been targeted. You
know my wife fifteen years ago, Melissa Hortman, the legislator
from Minnesota, just months ago murdered along with her husband
and her home. The governor of Pennsylvania nearly killed from arson,
the governor of Michigan, the president, you know, targeted twice.

Speaker 1 (03:43):
Yeah, that's not the whole list, not alone instance. What
has happened now, There have been many Steve Scalis who
shot during a pickup baseball game with some political colleagues.
Nancy Pelosi's husband pummeled by an intruder with a hammer.
And so we now find that they quote, deluge of
US lawmakers are calling for heightened security with this country today,
Mike marking violence from without and with it. It is

(04:04):
a missa I might. We'll see you Monday, Richard Arnold
State Side. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen
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