Leaked Teams memo reveals rifle, ideological ammo in Charlie Kirk campus shooting

Orem, UT – Conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon while speaking at Utah Valley University, and a leaked federal memo appears to shed light on the suspected weapon, ammunition, and potential motives behind the attack. At this time, the leaked FBI teams message has not been verified after being posted online.

The memo states that the gunman fired a single shot from a rooftop near the university before fleeing on foot. Kirk, 31, had been on campus as part of his nationwide “American Comeback Tour.”

The memo appears to have originated from the Denver FBI Field Office. The authenticity of the memo has yet to be confirmed. The memo was released by Steven Crowder, who said his team received it from an ATF official.

teams.doj.gov

On September 10, 2025, at approximately 12:24PM, Conservative Political Influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at the Utah Valley University in Orem, UT. Mr. Kirk was speaking at the University as part of The American Comeback Tour. Multiple SLC I and III agents responded immediately. The suspect fired one shot from an elevated position on a rooftop in an adjacent building on the campus and surveillance video shows the suspect jumping off and fleeing the area on foot. ATF and other law enforcement located an older model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt action rifle wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near the campus. The location of the firearm appears to match the suspect’s route of travel. The spent cartridge was still chambered in addition to three unspent rounds in the top fed magazine. All cartridges have engraved wording on them expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology.

An emergency trace has been submitted, and ATF SLC is working leads generated by the trace. The firearm and ammunition have been taken by the FBI for DNA analysis and fingerprint impressions. Upon completion of forensics, the firearm will be disassembled for additional importer information.

Multiple people of interest have been contacted or detained because of eyewitness testimony and review of video footage. The primary suspect is yet to be identified. ATF is assisting in the investigation with multiple other federal, state, and local partners and the case is co-led by the FBI and Utah SBI.

Investigators later recovered what they described as an older-model imported Mauser .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, wrapped in a towel, abandoned in a wooded area close to the shooter’s escape route. Authorities said the spent casing remained chambered in the firearm, alongside three unused rounds.

Those bullets, according to the memo, bore engravings referencing transgender and anti-fascist ideology. Federal agents have sent the ammunition and rifle for DNA and fingerprint testing, with plans to fully disassemble the firearm after forensics are complete.

Agents from the FBI, ATF, and Utah State Bureau of Investigation are co-leading the case. Several individuals have been detained or interviewed based on surveillance footage and eyewitness reports, though no primary suspect has yet been named.

The fatal shooting halted Kirk’s event within minutes, with campus security and federal agents rushing the scene. The gunman’s rooftop perch, captured on university surveillance video, provided a brief but lethal vantage point before his escape.

The ATF is conducting an emergency trace of the rifle in hopes of narrowing down its import origin and chain of ownership. Investigators are also analyzing whether the weapon was legally purchased or modified.

The high-profile killing has drawn national attention, both for Kirk’s prominence in conservative politics and the unusual details revealed in the ammunition evidence.

Key Points

• Charlie Kirk was shot and killed Tuesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.
• Investigators recovered an older-model Mauser rifle and engraved ammunition near the scene.
• FBI, ATF, and Utah SBI are co-leading the investigation, with no suspect formally identified.

The hunt for the rooftop gunman is now the focus of one of the most high-profile manhunts in recent memory.