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FBI Releases Photo Asking for Help Identifying "Person of Interest" in Connection with Charlie Kirk's Killing; Officials Postpone News Conference Due to "Rapid Developments" in Case; Manhunt Underway for Suspect in Charlie Kirk's Killing; U.N. Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting Over Russia's Violation of Polish Airspace. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired September 11, 2025 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We have breaking news in the manhunt for the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Officials just a short time ago said there have been rapid developments in the case. A news conference was then postponed, and we are now standing by to learn when the next briefing is set to be held.

Just about three hours ago, these images of a person of interest in the case were shared. Officials earlier saying that they have video tracking a suspect as he arrived on campus, took a stairwell to a nearby roof, and then fled into a neighborhood after the shooting. CNN's Ed Lavandera has been reporting from that neighborhood.

Ed, what more are you learning at this hour?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Boris.

Well, we are waiting to see what is going to come of this, what authorities here are describing as a rapidly developing situation. And obviously, the most pressing situation here right now is the manhunt for this suspected shooter. So, we haven't been able to pinpoint or determine if exactly these rapidly changing developments has to do with that. It's probably safe to presume that it's along those lines, because that is clearly what is of the most intense and utmost importance right here for law enforcement agents as they try to bring this gunman in.

They have released over the course of the last few hours a number of images of this person that they are interested in speaking with. The person wearing dark clothing and dark sunglasses in a stairwell. And there's a great deal of attention, Boris, focused on this neighborhood where we are this afternoon on the edge of the campus.

And if you look down this long driveway, you see down there into the distance, those rooftops. And the ones beyond that is the rooftop where we believe at this point that the suspect, the gunman, might have had the vantage point looking down into the courtyard area of the campus where Charlie Kirk was gathered speaking with students now more than just over 24 hours ago. And it is the area behind there where we've also heard dispatch and witnesses talk about someone walking along the roof.

And it is also this area, as we've spoken with residents here, this is one of the areas where many of the people who were frantically trying to get out of the shooting area were spilling out into to kind of get away from this campus. And investigators, Boris, have said, and this is important, is that because they believe that this person they're looking for is a young male, they were able to blend in easily with the crowd of people that were frantically and chaotically running away from the campus shooting scene.

Despite all of this, authorities here in Utah say they do believe this is an isolated incident and that the community around the campus here is safe.

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ROBERT BOHLS, FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: We've walked through those woods and secured it. As to the community, I can tell you that this was a targeted event. We don't believe that the community is at risk. However, we are exhausting every resource to find him, and we will do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And Boris, this row of homes that we're standing in, in this neighborhood, sits kind of on a ridge overlooking the campus. And we have seen law enforcement agents combing through this area. Some residents have shared videos with us of the agents going through this area looking for clues. It was the wooded area, presumably just on the edge of this neighborhood where the firearm was found. We've seen a lot of areas - some areas cordoned off by crime scene tape in these wooded areas, very close to where we are here.

So, clearly, this area has been a focus of a great deal of law enforcement investigative work, and clearly this could have been the area that the suspect was able to get into and make a getaway from this shooting scene. So, a great deal of interest here, and we are continuing to monitor the rapidly changing developments we are told that investigators are now getting, and hopefully we can bring you the latest details on that as quickly as possible.

SANCHEZ: Yes, as we were speaking to law enforcement experts earlier, they pointed to that postponement of the news conference being a good sign that some activity was moving forward in the case. I wonder, Ed, how is this community reacting now to being at the center of all this?

LAVANDERA: They're rather stunned. I mean, there hasn't been a person that I've talked to who talks about just how quiet and peaceful and safe they feel here. One resident told me they don't really lock their doors. You know, so, this is a community that is clearly stunned by being thrust into the middle of this massive manhunt and this incredibly horrific shooting story. [15:05:06]

But, you know, the fact of the matter is that's what they find themselves in here this afternoon as we continue to see investigative efforts to try to, like, you know, find clues and whatever they can in this area just next to campus.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Ed Lavandera live for us in Utah, thank you so much, Ed. Brianna?

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: CNN's Evan Perez has some more details on this investigation.

Evan, tell us, what are you learning?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, I think everybody is obviously trying to divine what the delay is about. I'm told that they're still looking for a suspect. There has been no arrest, at least at this hour. So, it's not clear what investigative work is still - obviously, there's a lot of investigative work still being done.

Obviously, we've seen those images that the FBI just released there just a short while ago this morning. They seemed hesitant to release some of them. But it's clear that they are now asking the public to help them because they know that time is of the essence. The longer this goes, the longer - the more time that the shooter has to essentially get far away from this scene.

And look, despite the fact that we've heard from the FBI special agent in charge there in Utah, you know, he's just got on that job. He just arrived over the past week or so to take over the Utah - the Salt Lake City office of the FBI. One of the things that we know is that the fact that someone is still on the loose means that there is still the possibility.

We don't know that that person could have other targets in mind. And so, that's one of the concerns for law enforcement behind the scenes. The biggest piece of evidence that they have so far is, of course, that firearm, which, you know, we had talked about earlier, Brianna. There are markings on it that investigators are still trying to discern, trying to figure out what the meanings are. They looked at some of the lettering and looked up on the Internet, for example, to see what some of the initials stand for.

Again, until they have a suspect, until they have more information and a better idea of who carried out this shooting, they're really grasping at straws. That's the reason why they've put out these images there, which were grabbed from surveillance video and some of that video that we've seen that shows this shooter on that rooftop. And of course, we now know that it appears he discarded the firearm as he was trying to make his getaway from that area.

Again, very, very much important for the FBI to get as many tips as possible while they are doing this manhunt.

KEILAR: Yes, certainly. Evan Perez, thank you for that.

And we're joined now by former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis, and we're also joined by criminologist and attorney Casey Jordan.

Ed, this delay, the Utah Department of Public Safety says that this press conference that was planned with the FBI is now postponed because of rapid developments in the case. Do you take that to mean that there is some substantial change that we should be awaiting here?

ED DAVIS, FORMER BOSTON POLICE COMMISSIONER: Hi, Brianna.

Yes, I believe that's probably the case. I can't imagine any reason to postpone a press conference other than a major development, probably leading either to the identity or the capture of the individual. So, I'm very optimistic that this is a good sign.

SANCHEZ: Casey, when you look closely at the photos that have been released by the FBI, these stills taken from a video of the suspect moving about campus, what do you see? What stands out to you? What characteristics are officials looking for as they look at this image?

CASEY JORDAN, CRIMINOLOGIST: Well, the image of the suspect really has, I think, caused a great deal of input to the FBI, which is why they're delaying this news conference. I suspect that they may be closing on him even as we speak. But what really speaks to me is that he fits the profile exactly of who we might expect to do this. Young, male, 20s, college age they're describing him as.

But the thing that really glares to me is how he's dressed. And the shirt that he's wearing is probably a contraindicator. If this is indeed a politically motivated assassination, then one would think he has an issue with everything that Charlie Kirk stands for. And yet he is wearing a shirt that would make him blend. A shirt that you can buy on eBay, a shirt with an American flag and an eagle, which is advertised as a disabled veterans fund shirt.

And the glasses, the jeans, he is just passing himself off as yet another college student interested in going and supporting Charlie Kirk. And that is how you get away with it. That is how you blend. So, as we look into that, do understand that he - the way he's dressed doesn't really indicate his political leanings. It's probably very much contemplated - the whole thing was incredibly well planned to throw people off and make himself disappear in the crowd.

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KEILAR: Casey, there's a lot of people who are, you know, that age, they're male. They might wear that t-shirt. They're not going to do something like this. What is the thing - what is the common thread for people who will?

JORDAN: Extremist thinking that clashes with somebody else's ideology. And I have to just chime in that the more this happens, the more it feeds it. So, the writing on the rifle, doesn't that remind us of the recent Catholic school shooting, you know, through the stained-glass window? And he had written all over his rifles. Doesn't - it remind us of the shootings in Minnesota, you know, where somebody felt like dispatching politicians who didn't agree with his ideology was for the greater good. It reminds us of the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO.

And we have to be very careful not to make these people martyrs, because that will inspire other people who are usually in a pit of depression, seeking answers and wanting to feel empowered by their extremist thinking. That is what very often takes the fantasy to action. And I fear that that's what we have seen in this case.

SANCHEZ: Ed, when it comes to the propagation of these images, as the FBI puts them out there, I imagine that they're getting hundreds, if not thousands of tips. How do they go about discerning what is a useful bit of information? What is a lead versus what is not useful?

DAVIS: Hi, Boris.

The - one of the big hesitations to publish a photo like this is just that issue. The logistical nightmare of thousands of tips coming in and making sure that all of them are run to ground. If you don't check every tip, then whatever legal action is taken in the future, defense attorneys get a hold of that information and it mitigates against a successful prosecution. So, it's not done lightly. There has to be teams of investigators ready to move on the tips that come in.

But in the final analysis, the cost-benefit analysis, in my mind, certainly goes towards releasing the photos, getting the people engaged - get the community engaged in the process and coming up with a name. Those are fairly clear photographs. People are going to recognize this person, people who are familiar with him. And I'm sure that in the near future, we'll have a name and even a suspect in custody.

KEILAR: Ed, how much experience with firearms and this particular firearm would an individual have to have for - to pull this off? A shot of this distance, a singular shot, and then to have the wherewithal of honestly showing up relatively quickly beforehand and making a pretty quick exit after?

DAVIS: There's a couple of components to this. One is dialing in the weapon. This is not an easy shot. It's not the most impossible shot in the world, but 200 yards is a substantial distance. So, having the weapon dialed in to make sure that your sights and your setup is proper is really important. So, someone has spent time with that weapon to make sure it's working.

The other thing is experience, shooting over and over again. This is not a first-time person. This isn't somebody that just found a gun and picked it up and got a lucky shot off. There's some experience there, and I think that will all come out in the future.

SANCHEZ: And Casey, talk to us about your view of that. I mean, if these preliminary reports are accurate, this was a single shot that came from some 200 yards away.

JORDAN: So, very likely this person has experience in the military or ROTC. And if not, they have spent a great deal of time at target practice. Whether it's tin cans in the backyard or whether it's at a shooting range, and this is all going to help the FBI kind of hone in on who this person could be. They practice and practice and practice.

Mostly what goes into this is a tremendous amount of planning and rehearsal. And this shooter knew which roof that he was going to go to, knew where he was going to escape in the woods, knew where he was going to dump the gun in the woods. I mean, there's - it's - it doesn't mean it's a perfect crime. I'm very sure we are going to capture this person very soon. But it didn't happen overnight. It wasn't a snap. It has been something that has been cultivating in his mind for a great deal of time and again, if you will, fertilized by reading about similar kinds of shootings in the news.

And we can't ignore them because they are real life, but just never forget that it can become a runaway train that makes people who are out there, who are thinking about doing such things, feel affirmation.

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If somebody else did it, and if somebody else is thinking about it, then I can't be that weird. Maybe I'm on the right side of this and we really need to look out for that kind of thinking, not just guns and t-shirts.

SANCHEZ: Casey Jordan, Ed Davis, thank you both.

DAVIS: Thank you.

JORDAN: Good to be here.

SANCHEZ: Still to come this hour, how social media played a key role in spreading the news about the death of Charlie Kirk and the impact that has had on fueling conversations. And right now, a source says the U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting to discuss Russia's drones that flew into Poland. That and much more coming your way next.

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SANCHEZ: Tributes for Charlie Kirk are pouring in after his assassination. And today, Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to arrive in Utah to meet with Kirk's family. Sources tell CNN that Vance plans to fly Kirk's body on Air Force Two back to Kirk's home in Arizona.

KEILAR: Earlier today, President Trump said he would award Kirk a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom. But beyond the many tributes, there are striking divides between people on social media. We're joined now by CNN Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter and CNN Chief National Affairs Correspondent Jeff Zeleny.

And Brian, we've seen some extreme examples of polarization spreading since Kirk was assassinated. BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Yes, we sure have. A lot of

calls for retribution and revenge. A lot of the phrase, this is war, bubbling up on far-right websites. The Federalist website today saying it's time to call the Democratic Party a domestic terrorist organization. This rhetoric that I am seeing, it does not reflect, you know, what every Republican out there is saying and what many Republicans are saying. And most importantly, it's not what Charlie Kirk would have wanted, this vitriol, this violent rhetoric in the wake of his assassination.

It is ugly out there, but it is only a very small part of a broader story, right, of so many more people who want a form of unity, who'd want this to settle, the temperature to be cooled down as opposed to heated up. And, of course, a big part of this story is the social media environment that we're all living in. There are social media incentives for people to, you know, to be posting in these ugly and inhumane ways in the wake of an attack like this.

And, by the way, we're seeing some of that nastiness from the left as well. We are seeing some self-proclaimed liberals who are talking in all sorts of ugly ways about Kirk and suggesting that he earned this or something or deserved this. So, there's a lot of heinous commentary on social media, but I think it's worth noting the social media incentive structures, you know, that are at play here, that the algorithms sometimes cause people to show their worst selves rather than their best selves. And that we all are better off if we step outside, go offline, look around the real world for a few minutes on a day like today.

But if I can just add a little bit of news we have in the past few minutes, TikTok, Meta, some of these big platforms, they are hearing these concerns about the climate. They're hearing these concerns, and they're hearing from GOP representatives who want these Charlie Kirk shooting videos taken down. TikTok is saying it is going to remove some of those videos, and a Meta spokesperson is telling me they're also taking action to remove content that glorifies, represents, or supports the incident or the perpetrator.

So, there is some action being taken by these big social platforms to try to recognize what impact they have on our collective dialogue.

SANCHEZ: Jeff, talk to us about the response from President Trump and members of his administration.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, I mean, Charlie Kirk was so close to President Trump and President Trump's family, and also to J.D. Vance. And not just Vice President J.D. Vance, to J.D. Vance before he ran for Senate in Ohio.

Without for Charlie Kirk's endorsement of that race back in 2021, before he had his primary in 2022, J.D. Vance likely would not have won that Ohio Senate race, obviously would not have been considered for the vice presidency. We know this because Vice President Vance wrote a very long and eloquent message on social media earlier today. And as you reported, he is flying to Utah right now. He and the Second Lady will be flying back to Arizona. But let's take a look for one moment at some of the words of the Vice

President. He writes this: "Charlie was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind. Like me, he was skeptical of Donald Trump in 2016. Like me, he came to see President Trump as the only figure capable of moving American politics away from the globalism that had dominated for our entire lives."

So, that is important there because Charlie Kirk was not an early supporter of Donald Trump back in 2015. Of course, neither was J.D. Vance, but because of Charlie Kirk, he came around first, if you will. Charlie Kirk effectively convinced Donald Trump that J.D. Vance was true to his conversion, that he was a true Trump supporter.

So, as all of the world, the conservative world, is mourning Charlie Kirk and the Vice President is flying out there, certainly some very compelling and interesting words from him in this. And as you said, the President said earlier today he'll be giving Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously.

KEILAR: Yes, it's clear how influential he was.

Jeff, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

ZELENY: Sure.

KEILAR: And ahead, the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting tomorrow after Russian drones flew into Poland's airspace. We'll have more details next.

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[15:29:34]

SANCHEZ: The U.N. Security Council is getting set for an emergency meeting on Russia's violation of Polish airspace after NATO fighter jets shot down multiple Russian drones that entered Polish airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine earlier this week. It marks the first time shots have been fired by NATO since the Ukraine war began. Tomorrow's meeting comes as France deploys three fighter jets to help protect Poland's airspace.

[15:30:00]

CNN Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Matthew Chance is following this for us.

Matthew, what are you learning about that U.N. Security Council meeting?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CHIEF GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Boris.

Well ...