A new video circulating on social media shows a bearded man in the crowd appearing to pump his fist and shout as others ducked for cover in the seconds after the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, triggering a wave of online speculation and fresh appeals from authorities for the public to submit unedited footage directly to investigators. In reports amplifying the clip, outlets described the man turning back toward the sound of the gunshot while remaining on his feet as chaos unfolded. The man has not been identified by law enforcement, and officials have not said whether they believe he is connected to the shooting. They urged the public to avoid doxxing or harassing anyone shown in bystander videos and to rely on official channels for verified updates.
The renewed focus on the crowd video comes amid a sprawling manhunt for the gunman who killed Kirk, 31, with a single round while he was speaking at a daytime outdoor event in Orem, Utah, on Wednesday. Investigators have said the shot was fired from an elevated position overlooking the stage and that the assailant fled immediately afterward. Authorities recovered what they called a “high-powered, bolt-action” rifle along the likely escape route and released still images and video of a person of interest, asking anyone with information to contact the FBI. Utah’s governor characterized the killing as a political assassination and said multiple agencies are “exhausting every lead.”
The video featuring the unidentified bearded man, widely shared on Thursday and Friday, shows a figure in a dark T-shirt and backward cap remaining upright as nearby attendees drop, with some accounts asserting he shouted “USA” while gesturing in the air. The clip, which is one of many bystander recordings now flooding social networks, has been presented by commentators as troubling for its apparent contrast with the immediate reactions of those around him. Newsrooms that referenced the footage emphasized that the man’s identity and intentions were not known. Officials have not indicated that the individual captured in the clip is a suspect, a person of interest, or otherwise sought by investigators.
Law enforcement’s most concrete public appeals continue to center on the person seen in official surveillance material released Thursday evening: a slender, college-aged man in dark clothing and a cap, captured ascending to and descending from a rooftop overlooking the courtyard where Kirk was speaking. Authorities accompanied those still images with a short video that, according to the FBI, shows the subject climbing down from the roof and moving away from campus before entering a wooded area. Investigators said the rifle was found in that area and has been submitted to federal laboratories for expedited forensic analysis. The bureau is offering up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of those responsible.
At a briefing, Utah officials underscored that seemingly small details in publicly released images—the subject’s backpack, the print on his shirt, and his shoes—could jog recognition. The state’s public safety commissioner said a palm print, a forearm imprint and footwear impressions were documented at the rooftop descent point and could be vital in corroborating a suspect once a name is developed. “We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” Governor Spencer Cox said as he urged residents, businesses and students in the area to upload raw, original-resolution files rather than edited clips.
Wednesday’s attack unfolded roughly 20 minutes into Kirk’s appearance, which drew an audience officials estimated in the thousands. Bystander videos show a single crack of gunfire, a rush of security to the stage and people pointing toward the roofline across the sloped courtyard. Kirk was transported from the scene and later pronounced dead at a local hospital. In the hours that followed, the university suspended operations around the crime scene as investigators canvassed buildings for security footage and worked with campus IT staff to preserve logs and recordings that might show access to stairwells, elevators and roof doors.
ð¨ The FBI just released footage of the Charlie Kirk suspect running from the scene.
— Brian Allen (@allenanalysis) September 12, 2025
No ID. No arrest. No manifesto.
That means the shooter is still out there and the feds don’t have their guy. pic.twitter.com/NC9ZmHXkfG
As investigators mapped movements and timelines from multiple feeds, the information environment around the case grew noisy. Reuters documented how misleading claims and fabricated imagery spread online within hours of the shooting, including false arrests, repurposed crime footage from unrelated incidents and doctored screenshots purporting to show that mainstream outlets had advance knowledge of the killing. In several instances, chatbots wrongly asserted that Kirk was still alive or that official statements were fabricated. The cumulative effect, fact-checkers warned, was to distract from verified releases and to complicate the collection of actionable tips.
Local media in Utah separately cautioned against the circulation of AI-“enhanced” suspect photos that added fabricated details not present in the FBI’s originals. One sheriff’s office shared such an image before acknowledging it had been generated by artificial intelligence. Experts interviewed by the station said the practice risks diverting investigators and confusing witnesses who may discount credible leads because they do not match a fabricated “clean-up” image that has gone viral. Officials asked the public to rely on the FBI’s posted stills and video—and to avoid sharing manipulated media.
Against that backdrop, the “mystery bearded man” clip became a flashpoint. The footage has fueled efforts by some social-media users to “identify” the man, while others argued the moment could be taken out of context—pointing out that crowd angles vary and that the precise timing between the shot and the gestures is difficult to establish from a single video. Some outlets aggregating the clip noted unverified claims from users asserting they were the person in question; officials have not endorsed those assertions. Police have not announced that they are seeking the bearded man, and they have not tied him to the person of interest in the FBI’s materials.
Investigators have been more forthcoming about the suspected murder weapon than about the identities of anyone captured in crowd videos. Officials say a bolt-action rifle was found wrapped and concealed along what they believe was the shooter’s escape route. Reporting based on law-enforcement sources described the firearm as an older imported Mauser chambered in .30-06, with a spent cartridge still in the chamber and additional rounds in the magazine. Authorities said the weapon and ammunition were sent to Quantico for fingerprint, DNA and ballistic testing, while cautioning that markings observed on cartridges would not be discussed publicly until forensic work is complete.
The basic investigative timeline shared by state and federal officials remains unchanged. Surveillance footage shows a person arriving near campus around 11:52 a.m., moving through stairwells to reach a rooftop and firing at approximately 12:20 p.m. as Kirk fielded a question from the audience. The figure is then seen running across the roof, climbing down the far side and leaving the area on foot toward a neighborhood, where the rifle was later recovered. Authorities said they have “good” video of the subject’s movements before and after the shot but withheld some footage to protect the integrity of the inquiry.
In the first 48 hours, confusion about detentions added to the fog of a fast-moving case. Two people taken into custody for questioning on Wednesday were later released, and officials stressed they had “no current ties to the shooting.” On Thursday, campus police booked a separate individual on obstruction and trespassing after he entered a restricted area near the crime scene; authorities described that arrest as unrelated to the homicide. Investigators emphasized that the shooter remained at large and asked the public not to target or harass individuals who had been questioned and cleared.
Memorials and political reaction have proceeded in parallel with the manhunt. The White House ordered flags lowered to half-staff and announced plans to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Leaders across the political spectrum condemned the killing and urged restraint in speculation while the suspect remains unidentified. As coverage shifted from shock to process, many outlets placed the investigation’s public asks at the center of their reporting: retain doorbell-camera footage, avoid resharing altered images, and provide original, uncompressed files to the FBI’s portal.
University leaders said counseling resources are available to students and staff and that a review of event security practices will follow once the criminal investigation allows. Security specialists interviewed by national outlets noted that open plazas ringed by multi-story buildings present persistent challenges, and that mitigations—moving contentious events indoors, expanding perimeters, assigning rooftop overwatch—carry cost and trade-offs for campus life. Administrators at other institutions began reassessing fall speaking schedules in light of the Utah shooting, particularly for formats that invite spontaneous exchanges and large, mixed crowds.
For investigators, the immediate priority is less about the online debate surrounding individual attendees and more about stitching together a comprehensive evidentiary record: trajectory analysis from the stage and the canopy, synchronized timestamps from multiple phones and fixed cameras, access-control data for stairwells and roof doors, and forensic results from the recovered weapon and rooftop impressions. Officials have said they are processing thousands of tips and conducting hundreds of interviews. They continue to emphasize that the most valuable public contributions are original, unedited videos and photos captured before, during and after the shot.
That guidance is particularly salient when viral crowd clips dominate attention. The bearded man’s gestures—interpreted by some as celebratory and by others as an attempt to draw attention to the origin of the shot—illustrate how ambiguous fragments can become lightning rods in the hours after a high-profile crime. Reuters’ review of the online aftermath documented how such fragments have already been woven into narratives that range from idle theorizing to elaborate conspiracies. Utah broadcasters’ warnings about AI-altered images underscore a second risk: that fabricated “clarity” can feel more convincing than messy reality, potentially warping memories or chilling credible tips.
Authorities have not linked the viral bearded man video to any specific investigative lead. Instead, they have kept their public messaging trained on the released rooftop footage and stills, the recovered rifle and the trace evidence left during the descent from the building. The FBI’s dedicated case page lists the reward, re-posts the images, and provides upload links for media files. Officials have said they will release additional verified material as warranted and will withhold details that could compromise the search.
As the manhunt continues, the confirmed record at this stage is narrow and important. Kirk was shot once from above at an outdoor university event and later died at a hospital; authorities recovered a bolt-action rifle along what they believe was the shooter’s path; investigators released stills and video of a person of interest and asked the public for tips; and a separate, widely shared crowd video depicting a bearded man reacting to the gunshot has fueled debate but has not been identified by officials as central to the case. Anyone with information, photos or videos relevant to the investigation is urged to call 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit files through the bureau’s online portal.