The FBI has come under fire for keeping an airport open after Charlie Kirk's assassination, as speculation grows about a possible jet connection to the killing. Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck and killed on Wednesday while speaking at a university event in Orem, Utah.
Even as authorities launched a massive manhunt for the gunman — who remains at large — they came under fire for not shutting down the airspace around Provo Airport. Authorities said during a Thursday morning briefing that they have recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle from a wooded area near the scene, where the shooter is believed to have jumped from the roof before fleeing the scene.
FBI Faces Backlash
The nearby regional airport, which handles domestic flights, is just a ten-minute drive from Utah Valley University, where Kirk had been speaking. Speculation has been rife on social media about a private jet that took off from the airport shortly after the fatal gunshot, the Daily Mail reported.
Flight records, seen by the Daily Mail, reveal that the plane took off shortly after 2 p.m., headed south toward the Arizona border, then briefly disappeared from radar. About an hour later, it reappeared and returned to Provo.
FAA data reviewed by the Daily Mail shows the jet is registered to an owner based in Lehi, Utah.
On Thursday morning, retired FBI agent James Gagliano told Fox News that the gunman may have used the nearby airport as a way to make their getaway. He said: "Was there pre-planning? Absolutely. You had to get access to the roof, this is the most chilling thing about this manhunt.
"If you come off that roof, there is an open air parking lot behind that building, it is spitting distance from I-15.
"This is a big concern because this person, between three to five minutes of that shot going off, could have been in a vehicle on his way out, and miles and miles away.
"Provo Airport is only 45 minutes from there, these are all things you have to consider. This is going to be long and laborious."
Gunman Still at Large
Kirk, a father of two, was taken to a nearby hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Investigators believe the shooter fired from the roof of the Losee Center, where a shadowy figure was spotted running just seconds after the gunshot.
The building sits about 200 yards from where Kirk had been speaking with students and community members about political issues. He had just finished answering a question on gun violence when the attack happened.
The search for the gunman is still ongoing, and so far, little is known about who they are. First responders at the scene described the shooter as wearing all black and aviator-style sunglasses.
In the chaos right after the attack, police detained 71-year-old George Zinn, who allegedly claimed responsibility for the shooting. However, investigators soon confirmed that he had nothing to do with Kirk's killing. Authorities later confirmed that a second man taken into custody was also not connected to the assassination.
