The rifle recovered in the search for the gunman who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Thursday was reportedly engraved with “transgender and anti-fascist ideology,” according to preliminary law enforcement reports.The .30-06-caliber Mauser bolt-action rifle believed by federal investigators to be the weapon used in the attack, was found wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near Utah Valley University, reported The New York Post.Kirk, 31, a US President Donald Trump ally and Turning Point USA founder, was shot in the neck by a single high-caliber round fired from roughly 200 yards while while addressing a crowd of about 3,000 students and supporters at Utah Valley University (UVU).The gunman reportedly blended into the university environment and appeared to be of college age, according to Utah public safety commissioner Beau Mason. The rifle has been turned over to the FBI for DNA and fingerprint analysis. Authorities obtained clear video footage showing a figure in dark clothing firing a shot from the roof of a building at UVU in Orem, Utah. Two suspects initially taken into custody have since been released.

Evidence and video footage

The Utah department of public safety emphasised that the shooting remains an “active investigation.” Along with the rifle, investigators collected a shoeprint, palm print, and forearm impressions. More than 130 tips had been submitted by Thursday morning, which officials said “are being fully investigated,” according to Bohls. Utah governor Spencer Cox described the attack as “believed to be a targeted assassination,” though authorities say the shooter’s identity and motive remain unknown.Officials continue to search for the gunman and are combing through surveillance footage to identify the suspect. Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, added that the individual who shot Kirk is not hiding in the wooded area where investigators recovered the rifle allegedly used in the attack.