On 11/9, Robert Bohls, head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) office in Salt Lake City, announced that investigators recovered "a manually operated rifle" in the woods near the site where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated. The specific model and caliber of the rifle were not disclosed.
Released images show the rifle has a black stock and is fitted with a telescopic sight. Three unnamed US law enforcement officials said it was an older Mauser rifle, adding that authorities also found several rounds of ammunition and a spent cartridge casing in the chamber.
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The rifle recovered near the site of Charlie Kirk's assassination on 10/9. Photo: X/sentdefender |
The rifle recovered near the site of Charlie Kirk's assassination on 10/9. Photo: X/sentdefender
Mauser rifles were used by the German military during World War II and were imported into the US in large numbers after the war ended. The manufacturer has also continuously released modernized versions, including the Mauser 18, which uses polymer materials and can be fitted with various accessories depending on the shooter's requirements.
The original version of the Mauser uses 7,92x57 mm ammunition, while later models can use a range of calibers from 5,56x45 mm to 9,3x62 mm.
Manually operated rifles require the shooter to pull the bolt back after each shot to eject the spent cartridge, then push the bolt forward to load a new round from the magazine into the chamber, ready for the next shot.
This type of rifle has a much lower rate of fire than semi-automatic rifles, but offers superior range, lethality, and accuracy. This makes it a popular weapon for snipers and hunters.
Military expert Hal Kempfer, a retired US Marine Corps lieutenant colonel, added that manually operated rifles allow the shooter to control and retrieve each spent cartridge, making forensic identification and weapon tracing more difficult.
Whether the suspect had formal training is also a subject of debate. Video from the scene shows a person running on a rooftop after the assassination, but it is unclear whether the shots were fired from a sitting, kneeling, standing, or prone position. The firing position would affect the accuracy of the shot and reflect the shooter's skill level. Investigators found palm prints, forearm prints, and shoe prints at the scene.
Officials said the shooter was positioned on a rooftop approximately 90 m from where Kirk was speaking and fired a single shot that struck him in the neck. At this distance, manually operated rifles using 7,92x57 mm ammunition like the Mauser can achieve maximum lethality and accuracy, unaffected by environmental factors.
The moment Charlie Kirk was shot on 10/9. Video: X/IAmyLeigh
Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot dead on 10/9 while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
President Donald Trump called the political activist "a legend." Many White House staff had known Kirk for nearly a decade, since Trump's first presidential campaign in 2016. He contributed significantly to Trump's success in the 2024 campaign, helping him attract many young voters.
Pham Giang (Reuters, Fox News)
