FBI director Kash Patel said Wednesday evening that the “subject for the horrific shooting today that took the life of Charlie Kirk” was “now in custody,” and Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed at a news conference in Orem that a “person of interest” had been arrested — but did not go so far as to call that person a suspect.
“We are completely aligned with our state and federal partners as we work through this case,” Cox said.
Cox called the shooting Wednesday a “political assassination” and said the investigation was ongoing.
“I want to make it crystal clear right now to whoever did this: We will find you, we will try you, and we will hold you accountable to the furthest extent of the law,” Cox said. “And I just want to remind people that we still he the death penalty here in the state of Utah.”
Beau Mason, the commissioner for the Utah Department of Public Safety, said law enforcement had not yet determined whether the person in custody was the suspected shooter.
“The only information we he on the suspect, the possible shooter, is taken from closed-circuit TV here on campus,” Mason told reporters. “We do he [video] that we’re analyzing, but it is security camera footage, so you can kind of guess what the quality of that is. We do know [the person was] dressed in all dark clothing. We don’t he a much better description.”
Asked whether the person in custody matches the appearance of the person in security camera footage, Mason said officials were trying to “figure that out right now.”
Mason also said at the news conference that law enforcement officials had originally arrested a man on campus, George Zinn, but later released him after determining that he was “not an accurate person of interest.”
Mason added, however, that Zinn — long known to Utah politicians for his habit of showing up to events — had been booked in the county jail, accused of obstruction of justice.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said in a statement that his office was working closely with local, state and federal partners on the investigation. That includes Utah Attorney General Derek Brown and the United States Attorney’s Office.
“Once the investigation is complete, we will carefully review the evidence and decide on the appropriate charges. The Utah County Attorney’s Office is committed to bringing those responsible for this tragedy to justice,“ Gray said in his statement. ”We express our deepest concern for Charlie Kirk, his family, friends, and the many others who were impacted by this horrific event."
A search for the shooter in Orem lasted several hours Wednesday afternoon after Kirk was shot and killed during an appearance at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, but the city said there is no citywide shelter-in-place order.
The city said in a statement they were “devastated” by the events.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Members of law enforcement canvass Utah Valley University in Orem where conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event at campus on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
“This type of violence should never happen anywhere, let alone in our community,” the statement read. “This is in direct opposition to our values, which include family, unity, respect and faith. We are praying for Charlie and his family at this time.”
Orem officials asked that people call 801-229-7070 to report anything suspicious as the search is ongoing.
Kirk was shot Wednesday during an appearance on campus. Both local and national officials called for prayers for the commentator, and President Donald Trump posted soon after that Kirk had been killed.
Some residents and event attendees told The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday afternoon that they had seen law enforcement searching the area near UVU in the hours following the shooting.
Former state Rep. Phil Lyman, a one-time GOP gubernatorial candidate, shared a video of what appeared to be a group of law enforcement officers searching the yard near a home where Lyman said he was sheltering after the event.
This is happening right now. Apparently, there is another suspect from the @charliekirk11 shooting that has not been apprehended. This is at a home I am at right now, just yards away from the UVU campus. pic.twitter.com/EDOSYJIP9M
— Just Phil Lyman (@phil_lyman) September 10, 2025Lisa Thornton, who lives in Salt Lake County, said some people had sheltered at her mother’s house near the campus. Once people had arrived at her mother’s home, she said, she looked outside and saw a “big group of people,” maybe more than 100, in what appeared to be military uniforms. She said they ran up the street in a line.
Another witness, Shaner Broderick, said he saw the same group.
“I saw easily over 100 men, totally dressed all the same in the green army uniform, in single file, running up the hill,” he told The Tribune.
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Law enforcement conducts a search of the Utah Valley University campus in Orem after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot during an event on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
In a post on the city’s official Facebook page, the city of Orem said a farmer’s market and concert originally scheduled for Wednesday night had been canceled.
This story is breaking and will be updated.