A second person of interest arrested after the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been released, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed. "The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement," FBI Director Kash Patel shockingly announced Wednesday evening.
"Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency," Patel added. The stunning reversal from the authorities comes less than two hours after Patel tweeted that Kirk's killer was in custody, with law enforcement and Utah Gov. Spencer Cox and other officials holding a press conference to explain that new security footage had actually pointed them toward a different person of interest.
Still on the Lam
However, Kirk's assassin remains at large as cops scramble to hunt down the conservative icon's killer. The New York Post spoke with the mother of the recently cleared person of interest, who said her son was "super shaken" — first by witnessing the horrific shooting up close, and then by being taken into custody afterward.
US and another flag flew at half-staff outside a building.
"He's a great kid," she said.
"I have a picture of him. He's like 25-feet from Charlie on the other side that he was shot. He sent us a video."
She explained that her son was actually a fan of Charlie Kirk and had gone to Utah Valley Campus on Wednesday just to hear him speak — only to see him brutally killed and then find himself wrongly accused.
"He was attending like any other college kid. He listens to him," the mother said.
Kirk, 31, was gunned down at 12:20 p.m. during a rally at Utah Valley University. Witnesses said the shooter was seen on camera sprinting across a rooftop right after opening fire.
As the shots echoed through the crowd, panicked screams filled the air and the Turning Point USA founder collapsed from his chair.
The Final Moments
Kirk was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he didn't survive. In the chaos, police detained an elderly man at the scene. Later, investigators confirmed that George Zinn,71, the man taken into custody, was not the gunman.
The second person was identified as Zachariah Qureshi, who had also been questioned by authorities and later released.
"There is no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals," the FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety said in a joint statement.
"There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter," the agencies added.
Now, FBI agents are working closely with local law enforcement to track down the suspect. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox has already suggested that if caught, the killer could face the death penalty.
