Retired FBI agent Stuart Kaplan described the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as having the hallmarks of a “professional hit.”
Kirk was shot shortly after noon Wednesday during a question-and-answer session at Utah Valley University and was pronounced dead a little over an hour later. He was struck by a single bullet and rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to massive blood loss.
Investigators believe the fatal shot came from a nearby rooftop, though CNN reported that no weapon was recovered in the area. As of early Thursday morning, the gunman remained at large.
Kaplan outlined his assessment of the attack and the ongoing manhunt during an interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters.
“I think this assassination, different than the assassinated attempt back in Butler, Pennsylvania, was a very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before,” the retired FBI special agent speculated. “And this individual had a plan of escape to elude detection of being out up on a rooftop and also being able to evade and elude law enforcement after that shot was taken.”
Kaplan drew parallels between Kirk’s assassination and last month’s attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life in Pennsylvania. He noted that the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, had entered and exited the venue before opening fire, and was briefly observed by Secret Service counter-snipers, who photographed him but then lost track of his movements.
Crooks was ultimately shot and killed by counter-snipers within seconds of firing.
“I mean, it was really an amateur scenario,” Kaplan said of the Butler shooting. “This assassination of Charlie Kurt, to me, is indicative of a professional hit. And I’m not so sure that we are going to quickly be able to apprehend this individual without some luck, hopefully.”
