An internal email from an ATF officer obtained by conservative commentator Steven Crowder details the discovery of a Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle, along with cartridges bearing engravings expressing “transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” in the woods near Utah Valley University. The firearm was found following the September 10, 2025, assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of TPUSA, who was speaking at the university as part of the American Comeback Tour.

The email states that the suspect fired a single shot from an elevated position on a rooftop adjacent to the campus before fleeing on foot. Law enforcement located the rifle wrapped in a towel near the campus, matching the suspect’s route of travel. The weapon contained a spent cartridge still chambered, along with three unspent rounds in the magazine. All cartridges featured engraved messaging aligned with transgender and anti-fascist themes.

The ATF confirmed an emergency trace was initiated, with the FBI taking possession of the firearm and ammunition for DNA analysis and fingerprinting. Forensic examination will include disassembling the rifle to determine its importer details. Multiple individuals have been identified as potential suspects based on eyewitness accounts and surveillance footage, though the primary suspect remains at large.

The investigation is being co-led by the FBI and Utah State Bureau of Investigation, with ATF collaborating alongside federal, state, and local partners. A separate report from FBI agent Beau Mason corroborates the discovery of a “high-powered bolt action rifle” near the shooting site. Further updates are expected as the case progresses.