Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, everyone. My name is Hilary Kellner. I'm the communications director for the Utah Department of Public Safety. Today, we will have two speakers, one representing the state of Utah and one representing our federal agencies. They will be providing some updates, as well as a recap of what happened at here at Utah Valley University yesterday. We will be able to take a couple of questions after they are done speaking, but it will be short, in order to stay in tune with the president speaking at 9:45. So, I'll go ahead and introduce Commissioner Beau Mason.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Good morning. I'm Beau Mason, commissioner for the Utah Department of Public Safety. I'd be remiss if we didn't start off today to recognize the significance of the day. Historically, on 9/11, law enforcement has come together as a group to recognize and honor those that sacrificed to preserve the ideals of this country, the freedoms of this country. And instead, we find ourselves today hunting a murderer who chose to violate our the rights of an individual within this country.
(01:15)
Just to recap yesterday's events, at around 12:20 PM political influencer Charlie Kirk was at Utah Valley University, participating in a student-sponsored event with Turning Point USA. Charlie was shot at that event. He was transported to a local hospital where he later passed. Last night, his body was moved to the State Office of the Medical Examiner. We will continue to facilitate movements to get him home today and with his family.
(01:57)
Yesterday, during the investigative process, we located a couple of persons of interest. We entered those individuals and after releasing them and after clearing them of being suspects, they faced scrutiny, they faced threats. We ask the public to be patient with the investigative process. These individuals were not suspects, they were people of interest. We ask that you do not impose into those people and that investigative process, they don't deserve that harassment for being subject to that.
(02:32)
I'd like to thank all the investigators that are involved in this. They have worked around the clock. All day yesterday through the night last night, investigators from the state bureau of investigations, from county, from city agencies, the university, our federal partners with the FBI, the ATF, and many others. Those are just a few of the people that we have involved in this. I'd like to thank all of them for their strong work.
(02:57)
Through all that work last night, we were able to make a few breakthroughs. We were able to track the movements of the shooter. Starting at 11:52 AM, the 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. 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 neighborhood.
(03:33)
Our investigators worked through those neighborhoods, contacting anybody they can with doorbell cameras, witnesses, and have thoroughly worked through those communities, trying to identify any leads. We do have good video footage of this individual. We are not going to release that at this time. We're working through some technologies and some ways to identify this individual. If we are unsuccessful, we'll reach out to you, as the media, and we'll push that publicly to help us identify them, but we're confident in our abilities right now and we would like to move forward in a manner that keeps everyone safe and moves this process appropriately.
(04:17)
Last night I communicated with Erika. The family's devastated. As a commissioner of public safety, as a father, as a husband, I can only imagine what that family's going through. The heinous event that happened yesterday is not Utah. This is not what we're known for. Over the past several weeks, we've seen the state come together to help families in mourning, come together as a community to show what Utah's known for, for a state of character, of service, of camaraderie, of a neighboring feel. We will not stand for what happened yesterday. We are exhausting every lead.
(05:03)
We have every officer invested in this, every investigator, every local agency. The outpouring of support from the law enforcement community has been astounding. We are investing everything we have into this and we will catch this individual. Having walked through the crime scene, through the hallways of this school, through the classrooms, I can't imagine what the people on scene felt as well. A horrific event where some of them barricaded in the classrooms, some of them ran in fear. I can't overstate the tragedy and the horrific event that yesterday was and how we will work to bring to justice the actions of one individual or any other individuals that assisted in that. Our state has gone through a lot and we will come out successful.
(05:57)
With that, I'll turn the time over to Special Agent Bohls. [inaudible 00:06:02].
Speaker 3 (06:05):
Good morning. My name is Robert Bohls and I'm the special agent in charge of the Salt Lake field office. Following yesterday's tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk, FBI agents have been working around the clock in coordination with our law enforcement partners. We are and will continue to work nonstop until we find the person that is committed this heinous crime and find out why they did it.
(06:34)
This morning I can tell you that we have recovered what we believe is the weapon that was used in yesterday's shooting. It is 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. Investigators have also collected footwear impression, a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.
(07:03)
I understand there are a lot of questions about motive. I assure you that all leads and tips are being fully investigated. As of this morning, we received more than 130 tests. We thank the community for that. The FBI has brought every resource to bear and we will continue to do so throughout the course of this investigation. The FBI's mission is to protect the American people, it's to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
(07:35)
Any attack on the First Amendment is an attack on the very foundation of our democracy. That is why we will relentlessly pursue this case and the shooter until we find him. We also continue to grieve with the family and the community. It's our community. If you have any video or images from the shooting, we ask you to please submit them to our digital media tip website at www.fbi.gov/utahvalleyshooting. You can also call the FBI at 1800-call-fbi. We truly rely on the public's help in these types of cases and no tip is too small or insignificant. Thank you.
Media (08:31):
Commissioner, James Matthews from Sky News. Can I ask about the shooter? There's clearly information about him or her. You say you're confident at this stage in terms of tracking down who they are. Can you talk to about their movements, their demeanor? Do you think it's a man? And also, can I ask what were the security arrangements in place? Was that roof being monitored? It's a question many people will have, particularly [inaudible 00:09:03].
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So, what I'll release about the suspect is suspect blended in well with the college institution. We're not releasing any details right now, and we will soon, but right now, we're not. But that individual appears to be of college age. We are confident in our abilities to track that individual. If we're unsuccessful in identifying them immediately, we will reach out for the public's help and the media's help and pushing those photos. That was a new development overnight, working through the night and studying those cameras. So, that's something that's new and that we're working through right now. As far as the security, I cannot speak to that. Neither the Department of Public Safety nor the Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in the planning or security of this event, and that'll have to be a question later for other agencies.
Media (09:56):
[inaudible 00:09:56], I wanted to ask you, you mentioned that you found the gun in a wooded area. Do you believe that the suspect could be hiding in the woods and is that suspect possibly still in this area?
Speaker 3 (10:08):
So, that's a good question and it's a question that goes to the safety of the community, right? No, not in those woods. We've walked through those woods and secured it. As to the community, I can tell you that this was a targeted event. We don't believe the community is at risk. However, we are exhausting every resource to find him and we will do so.
Media (10:32):
[inaudible 00:10:33] on the BBC. From the images you have, can you see clearly the suspect's face? You say he's college age, do you believe he was from this university? And how far do you think he may have gone in this time span?
Speaker 3 (10:45):
So, I can't comment specifically on his face or any details such as that, as it's continuing to be a part of the investigation. And again, we'll release that shortly. However, we're doing everything we can to find him and we're not sure how far he's gone in.
Media (11:02):
And you do believe it's a male?
(11:03)
But you have a clear image of his face?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
We have images of the suspect.
Media (11:07):
[inaudible 00:11:07].
(11:07)
Those images and the gun that you've been able to recover, do you believe you know who this person is, the person that you're looking for at this point?
Speaker 3 (11:15):
Again, as part of the investigation, we're not releasing any details to that.
Media (11:19):
Any fingerprints or DNA?
Speaker 3 (11:21):
We are exhausting all of our resources to be able to collect those, but that's, again, part of the investigation.
Media (11:27):
And how did the suspect get on the roof?
(11:28)
And have you found the owner of the gun?
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Excuse me?
Media (11:30):
You said you found the weapon. Have you been able to trace back the owner of that weapon or who purchased it?
Speaker 3 (11:35):
We are working on that, but again, part of the investigation.
Media (11:38):
Agent Bohls, there's been a lot of turnover at the FBI, do you think that's impacting the investigation at all?
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Not at all. We've got complete and total support from everyone from the director on down, and it's been an incredible supportive environment so far.
Media (11:55):
Are tweets like the one yesterday useful though, where you announced that there's a suspect in custody?
Speaker 3 (12:01):
All I can say is that we're working the investigation the best we have with the environment we're getting.
Speaker 1 (12:06):
Those are all the questions for right now. Thank you, everybody.
Speaker X (12:11):
Just to clarify, you said you believe it [inaudible 00:12:14]?
Speaker 5 (12:14):
It was better than I thought I might be.
Speaker 6 (12:30):
Hmm?
Speaker 5 (12:30):
It's better than I thought it might be.
Speaker 6 (12:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (12:38):
What am I doing?