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Manhunt on for Charlie Kirk's Killer; Conservatives Express Shock, Dismay at Kirk Assassination; South Koreans Detained in ICE Raid Return to Seoul; Brazil's Former President Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired September 12, 2025 - 00:00   ET

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

LAURA COATES, CNN ANCHOR: It's a big question mark. Like a champion, she keeps going, Erin. I'm so glad you're highlighting her work. Thank you.

[00:00:07]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, Laura.

COATES: Be sure to tune in Saturday at 10 p.m. Eastern for the "CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE" one-hour special.

Thank you all for watching. CNN's live coverage of the manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer continues right now.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome. I'm Erica Hill. This is CNN NEWSROOM. We continue with the breaking news at the top of the hour here: the manhunt for the killer of conservative activist Charlie Kirk intensifying.

Authorities, though, have yet to name a suspect. And they are, of course, continuing to plead for the public's help in identifying a person the FBI had initially called a person of interest.

Utah officials are now calling this person a suspect, releasing just a few hours ago, new video of the man. As we show it to you here, we're highlighting this person who you can see here, a man climbing down off of the roof of a building near where Kirk was shot. You see him then -- you'll see him drop to the ground here, moving across some grass through a parking lot, then crosses the street, heading into a wooded area.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the shooter's identification and arrest. It's also important to note, as we look at what we do know in these security camera images, officials earlier tonight stressing what we can see.

That, of course, is the baseball cap that this man is wearing: a T- shirt with an American flag and what appears to be an eagle on it, jeans, and also noting his shoes, Converse shoes, talking about how he left an imprint of that shoe after coming down off that building. Also palm prints, as well.

Utah's public safety commissioner, however, telling NBC the reality is, right now they don't even know whether this person is still in the state.

The FBI, meantime, analyzing the high-powered rifle, which was recovered from the area where the gunman is thought to have fled.

Utah's governor says when caught, the killer will be facing the death penalty. The governor also issuing a warning about information in the wake of this assassination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. SPENCER COX (R), UTAH: There is a tremendous amount of disinformation we are tracking, our -- our -- our team, the state team, and I'm sure the federal team, as well. What we're seeing is our adversaries want violence. China. We have bots from Russia, China, all over the -- the world that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence.

I would encourage you to ignore those, to -- to turn off those streams and -- and to spend a little more time with -- with our families. We desperately need some healing. We'll have more to say about that in the -- in the days and weeks to come.

More than anything, we are going to catch this person.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: CNN's Ed Lavandera is on the ground in Utah. He's been closely following this investigation and has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 24 hours after Charlie Kirk was killed on a Utah college campus, the manhunt continues.

Investigators have focused intensely on this Orem, Utah, neighborhood --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just make sure all the doors are locked.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): -- next to the Utah Valley University campus.

In the chaotic moments after the shooting, dispatchers had a description of the possible gunman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wearing all black, black long gun, black tactical helmet, a black mask. Possibly wearing a tactical vest and jeans.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): We met an electrician working near the university who says someone matching that description approached a coworker at this job site. DYLAN HOPE, CO-WORKER OF WITNESS: He had black sunglasses. He had a black COVID mask. He had black trench coat, black cargo pants, and he was wearing a small backpack. And he also had long, greasy black hair.

The guy said, someone's been shot.

LAVANDERA: Looking back on it, did that person think that was the shooter now?

HOPE: The guy was already trying to leave. And so, he -- we were then shown a picture by the sheriff at the time, and the excavator said that it matched.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): The FBI also released images of a person of interest and posted up to a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there somebody on the roof over there?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That individual appears to be of college age.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Investigators say they have also located the weapon they believe was used in the shooting, equipped with a long- distance scope, according to a senior law enforcement official.

ROBERT BOHLS, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI SALT LAKE CITY: That rifle was -- was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. It is a high-powered bolt-action rifle.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Agents also found engravings they interpreted as expressing transgender and anti-fascist ideology on ammunition found inside a rifle believed to have been used in the shooting, according to a preliminary report from the ATF.

BOHLS: Investigators have also collected footwear impression. a palm print and forearm imprints for analysis.

[00:05:07]

LAVANDERA (voice-over): And law enforcement officials say they have more details about the shooter's movements on Wednesday.

BEAU MASON, COMMISSIONER, UTAH DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY: Starting at 11:52 a.m., the subject arrived on campus, through the stairwells, up to the roof, across the roof to a shooting location.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Almost 30 minutes later, at 12:20 p.m. Mountain Time, just as Kirk began to answer a question about gun violence, he was shot in the neck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last ten years?

CHARLIE KIRK, FOUNDER, TURNING POINT USA: Counting or not counting gang violence?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great.

(GUNSHOT)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down, get down, get down!

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Shot from a distance of about 150 yards, according to CNN estimates.

And law enforcement officials say they tracked the gunman's movements across the roof.

MASON: He moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And our thanks again to Ed Lavandera for that report.

Veronica miracle also with us at this hour, who's been closely following the developments.

As I noted, some of the comments, and perhaps the lack of comments, in some ways, at this press conference a little earlier, certainly raising some questions. What did we learn in that press conference, Veronica?

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're certainly right, Erica, because they didn't take any questions. FBI Director Kash Patel was there, but he didn't speak. He was there in support.

And there's been a lot of confusion over the last couple of days with the persons of interest. A couple of people have been detained and released. And at this point, they have now released video. Authorities have released video and surveillance images of a person that they are calling a suspect.

They're pointing to the video at certain moments. You had mentioned at the top of the show where they see this individual walking across the rooftop.

And authorities are pointing to this moment, saying that as he was dangling himself off of the edge of the roof, he left some kind of forearm or palm impressions, rather, as well as some smudges which they're trying to collect DNA from those.

They also found a footprint, a shoe print which they say clearly was a Converse sneaker. And you can see clearly, as well, in the surveillance images that they released, the clearer pictures of those shoes and some of the different clothing that this person was wearing.

And authorities, as we head into day three of this manhunt, really have not released much more information than this. They are calling on the public for assistance, and they have been getting thousands of tips.

Just take a listen to what they had to say at the press conference. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COX: We cannot do our job without the public's help right now. We -- the public has answered our call for action. So far, we've received more than 7,000 leads and tips.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIRACLE: And from those. Yes, and from those 7,000 tips, they've conducted 200 interviews. They have more than 20 different agencies working on this, trying to find this individual.

But they don't know, according to an interview with NBC, if the person is in the state of Utah or has fled the state. They do not know where he is, according to authorities.

CNN actually just spoke to somebody who -- a student, a Utah Valley University student who said that they saw an individual who matches the description of the suspect or similar, looked similar, on the roof twice in the last two weeks.

They saw an individual on the rooftop at campus. They thought it was very weird. They thought it was odd. In fact, they saw a professor kind of waving that person off of the roof, and apparently, that person just ignored the professor who was yelling.

And this person said that it was distinct, because as they look back on it, why was an individual on the roof twice in two weeks?

This student says they've reported this to the FBI tip line and haven't heard back. And of course, we now know that there have been more than 7,000 tips and hundreds of interviews conducted as they wade through all of this information, trying to find where this suspect is -- Erica.

HILL: Yes. Absolutely, Veronica. Really appreciate it. Thank you.

Also joining us this hour, Jason Pack, a retired FBI supervisory special agent. He's also an advanced EMT and active first responder.

Jason, it's good to have you back with us tonight. I want to pick up, actually, where Veronica just left off, the fact that there was a student who has now told CNN that they saw an individual on the roof twice in the last week. That this person, according to the student, had ignored a professor when they were telling them to -- to come down, did report this to the tip line.

A tip like that, when that comes in, how much could it help focus, perhaps, parts of the investigation in terms of trying to even just identify who this suspect is?

JASON PACK, RETIRED FBI SUPERVISORY SPECIAL AGENT: Erica, that's a great question. I think it's going to be an important piece of the case. So, it gives them time to go back and try to pull video footage from those time frames, if they haven't done that already. If they've gotten that tip and the person said he hasn't been interviewed yet, that doesn't mean they're not taking action on that tip.

So, these video canvases become really important part of these -- these cases, these high-profile manhunt cases. And each little piece of evidence leads you to a new place to start, another canvas.

[00:10:08]

And so hopefully, they'll be able to piece these bits and pieces of information together. We saw tonight at the press conference, the part about the shoes and the part about the shirt with the flag, those types of things. Somebody out there is going to recognize him. And the tips will be coming in.

I know, in the Boston Marathon bombings, I helped with that press conference. Once we put that photograph out -- we had a photo before. It wasn't very good. And then once we got that clear photo of white hat and put that out, the tips just started pouring in. And that really was what was the crack in the case to -- to kind of bring this to a head.

So, hopefully, that's where we'll be. They put the photos out that they have. And so, hopefully, this is going to be just the start of the -- the apprehension of the suspect.

HILL: Given what technology is nowadays; given, to your point, the cameras that we know exist everywhere. And these images that they have released are actually fairly clear in terms of a face. Are you surprised that, at this point in the investigation, we're talking now going into the second day here, that there is not an identification that has been released?

PACK: I think the key point here is there's not been a public identification. It's possible they may have a name, or they may have an alias or something like that, but they really can't take a chance on coming out with a name that they think. They need to be able to prove that name.

I know in the Nashville bombing on Christmas day a few years ago, the subject there, they -- authorities had that name. We had his name early on, but we wanted to make sure through DNA and those types of things, that it was absolutely that person and not just somebody with that person's identity.

HILL: And we did see early on, right, there -- there were some issues with that. So, it is an important point.

I was struck by the comments from -- from the commissioner for public safety when -- when he was asked by NBC whether the suspect was still close by or even in the state.

He said, we have no idea. We don't know where this guy is. We don't know if he's still in the state. We don't know where he could be.

What does that tell you about where things may stand in this moment?

PACK: Well, I think it's good that the FBI and the federal authorities are involved. That's exactly why this partnership between them and the Department of Public Safety and the local officials is so important, because no matter where this person runs, no matter where the shooter runs, there's going to be law enforcement there able to handle it.

And particularly with the FBI field offices across the country, they're in tune. They're waiting for leads to come in. They're probably already covering leads from tips all over that are coming in.

I know that in Boston, we sent leads out to most every state that -- that came in to check out.

So, I think once they get those tips in, they'll be able to act on them. They're going to take them seriously and make sure that they're covering every lead thoroughly.

HILL: The FBI director, Kash Patel, there was much made of the fact that he was going to be at this press conference, which is why it left, I think, a lot of people scratching their heads that he didn't speak at all. Is that surprising to you?

PACK: Well, generally speaking, the agents in the field are the ones that do the work. So, I thought it was sort of respectful that he let the people that are actually doing the work talk.

But having said that, having the FBI director there kind of helps cut through some red tape if they needed some kind of resource or something. Having him on site, having them being able to see firsthand what's going on is helpful in the resource allocation that they may need.

HILL: What are your biggest questions in this moment? As you look at what we know publicly, what are the questions that you're asking?

PACK: Well, I always have to remember, now that I'm on this side of it, that they probably know more than what they're saying, and they're working very hard. I know the men and women of the FBI. The special agent in charge was a squad mate of mine in Jackson, very capable agent, very capable leader. So, I know they're in good hands there.

But my questions would be, hey, where are the -- where's the evidence leading you? You have to have tips from somebody. Like, what are you doing with those? What -- what's the plan, the long-term plan, if this goes a few more days? What are you going to do? What public messaging are you going to be out there?

I think it was helpful to have a video. Photos are one thing, but having that video is super important to be able to see gait and be able to see the way people walk.

One other important thing, Erica, on these Converse shoes, the FBI has reached back to these manufacturers and maybe will be able to take this casting of the evidence of the footprint and maybe see where these things are sold. They do very minutia details like that. So, hopefully, they're doing things like that, checking every types of

camera, not only the Ring cameras, but any other kind of surveillance that was out there. And they're doing things like talking to people.

So, a lot of times we talk about technology, but just being able to go out there, talk to people and gather information and put those pieces together are really important.

HILL: And it is remarkable, as they were noting, more than 7,000 leads and tips have now been called in or submitted. That's the most, according to the governor, to the FBI, since the Boston Marathon bombing.

We'll continue to follow. Jason, really appreciate your expertise here. Thank you.

PACK: Thanks, Erica.

HILL: Just before he was shot, Kirk was asked a question about transgender mass shooters. Here's that moment.

[00:15:07]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last ten years?

KIRK: Too many.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: That conversation, of course, abruptly ended by the gunshot.

Hunter Kozak, a student at Utah Valley University who asked Kirk that question, is now speaking out in a video shared with CNN and stressing that, while he doesn't agree with Kirk's views, violence is not the answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTER KOZAK, WITNESSED SHOOTING: It's a tragedy, and I don't -- it's hard to grapple with. And I'm part of a community that's struggling to grapple with it right now.

And people have obviously pointed to the irony, that I was -- the point that I was trying to make is how peaceful the left was right before he got shot. And that -- that only makes sense if we stay peaceful.

And as much as I disagree with Charlie Kirk, I'm on the record for how much I disagree with Charlie Kirk. But like, man, dude, he is still a human being. Have we forgotten that?

(END VIDEO CLIP) HILL: Well, in terms of where things stand for Charlie Kirk and his family, we can tell you his casket, his remains are now in Phoenix, Arizona, where he lived.

Vice President J.D. Vance and his wife, Usha, the second lady, acting as escorts for the body, along with Charlie Kirk's wife and their two children as they departed Utah in a somber moment. You can see there the vice president placing his hand on the coffin as it's carried toward Air Force Two, of course, the vice president's plane.

In Phoenix, plans for Kirk's funeral are now underway. We're told it's expected to be held in the coming days, and President Trump will be there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you going to go to Charlie Kirk's funeral, sir?

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. PRESIDENT: I will be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know when that will be?

TRUMP: I believe it's in Arizona, and they've asked me to go. And I think I have an obligation to do that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know when that will be?

TRUMP: I'm hearing the next -- I hear next weekend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meaning after -- after your trip?

TRUMP: Whenever it is, I'll be going.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: As we are following all of this developments, it's impossible to ignore the questions about political violence in this country.

U.S. lawmakers on Capitol Hill considering greater security protections, scaling back on their public events. Those details just ahead, after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:21:48]

HILL: U.S. lawmakers are increasingly concerned about their personal safety in the wake of Charlie Kirk's killing. That has also sped up some conversations, we're learning, about boosting their security. That's according to one Republican senator.

Markwayne Mullin chairs the Legislative Branch Committee Subcommittee on the Senate Appropriations Committee, and he says the discussions now include the possibility of a security detail for every senator when they're back home. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KEVIN CRAMER (R-ND): I like being accessible, but being accessible is starting to look like being vulnerable. And so, I think there are a lot of us that are concerned about that.

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): Different people have different threat levels. Those different threat levels may require a different stance, maybe a different look for their -- for their detail.

So, it's not one size fits all. We're going to have to be fluid and be able to build a flex when we need to flex and be able to dial it down when you need to dial it down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Now, while there may be some unity in those security concerns, it is tough to find a bitterly divided Washington coming together on much else in this moment, in the wake of Kirk's killing.

Lawmakers doing little to turn down the temperature of political discourse, even as party leaders are broadly urging them to do so. The blame game and heightened security fears from both parties underscoring a particularly tense and bitter point right now in American politics.

And, of course, the heated rhetoric is not limited to lawmakers. In this era dominated by social media, extreme views can often feel like they dominate the conversation. Almost every conversation sparking fears of increasingly radicalized and divisive politics.

Here's CNN's Elle Reeve.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SEAN MCCROSSEN, YOUNG CONSERVATIVE: I didn't want to see that video. It just kind of popped up on my timeline on X. I mean, it was horrific. It was the worst thing you can imagine. And seeing that was really devastating.

ELLE REEVE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Young conservatives are in shock at the apparent assassination of Charlie Kirk.

RYAN LEONARD, YOUNG CONSERVATIVE: I take no take no pleasure in in thinking this way, but things might be about to get a lot worse.

REEVE (voice-over): They were drawn in by the way Kirk mixed it up with ideological opponents on college campuses.

KIRK: Your life began not at birth, but at conception. About nine months before.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's your opinion.

KIRK: If I wear black face and I don't become black, why does a man who wear a dress become a woman? MADISON CAMPBELL, YOUNG CONSERVATIVE: It was because of his quick wit.

His debate style was much different than anyone, really, in the conservative movement had.

REEVE (voice-over): The 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA inspired young conservatives to forcefully defend their beliefs, even when outnumbered.

CHRISTOPHER BRAY, YOUNG CONSERVATIVE: I think seeing someone that was, like, willing to stand up to huge crowds at liberal schools was really powerful. Going to a liberal arts college in New York City, in Manhattan, of all places, it can be very difficult to, like, navigate what you can and can't talk about.

LEONARD: It was just this place where I felt like I could be free. And some of -- some of my closest friends in my life, I met at these events.

REEVE (voice-over): It's hard to escape, especially in alternative media. The members of the MAGA movement who are now talking about war.

ALEX JONES, FORMER PODCASTER: We're in a war.

REEVE (voice-over): Good versus evil, and an American tipping point.

TRUMP: This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing.

STEVE BANNON, FORMER SENIOR ADVISOR TO DONALD TRUMP: Charlie Kirk's a casualty of war. We're at war in this country.

CAMPBELL: But there is political violence on both sides, and political violence on both sides is equally reprehensible.

[00:25:08]

MCCROSSEN: I think people are going to become a lot more radical. I think that goes without saying. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, you could determine. But people are -- people are upset.

REEVE (voice-over): These young conservatives saw Kirk as a moderate and are unsettled that someone with his views would be killed.

LUCIAN WINTRICH, NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICAN CLUB: For somebody who I personally consider kind of a normie conservative, to be murdered, to be assassinated for those views -- yes. We're all struggling to process it.

CAMPBELL: The next person who starts to take his place is going to be much more far right, because in order to do that, you have to almost be willing to die for your opinions.

I think that is, in a way, beautiful. It's very -- you know, it's -- it's a martyrdom. Right? Which is beautiful to die for your beliefs.

REEVE (voice-over): Elle Reeve, CNN, New York. (END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Joining us now is Clionadh Raleigh. She's the founder and CEO of Armed Conflict Location and Event Data. It's an independent nonprofit that tracks real-time data on conflict, political violence, and protest activity around the world.

Clionadh, it's good to have you with us. You know, I'm struck by some of those comments from those young people, talking about, you know, someone being -- being martyred, you know, dying for your beliefs.

Also talking about the fact that they believe Charlie Kirk was murdered or assassinated, in their words, for his views.

The reality is we don't yet know who is responsible for this. We don't yet know what their motivation was. Nor do we know what their belief system was.

And yet, there has been a very quick -- I mean, very quick. And we saw it from lawmakers, as well, to point fingers, to demonize, to say this is clearly -- even from the president of the United States. This is clearly the work of the extreme left.

What does that quick judgment do in a moment like this?

CLIONADH RALEIGH, FOUNDER/CEO, ARMED CONFLICT LOCATION AND EVENT DATA: Well, I think it certainly doesn't clarify what is happening here.

What you are much more likely to have is a lone wolf with relatively obscure political beliefs behind this type of action.

What we've seen in the U.S. recently is that there has been, certainly, a huge increase in divisive rhetoric, but that has not been followed by actions.

What we often see in the U.S. is that there's a lone wolf problem, where heavily armed and often quite disturbed individuals take it upon themselves to assassinate, such as with Mr. Kirk, public figures or -- or people within the public space, like children in schools, to bring attention to an extremely obscure political belief.

HILL: We talk a lot in the United States because, as I know you're well aware, we have shootings a lot. We are constantly covering acts of violence.

And I was struck by something that one of our law enforcement analysts said just earlier tonight, saying we're living in an area -- an era of assassination culture. Is that how you would define what is happening in the United States right now?

RALEIGH: So, that's a great question. And I think that it's -- that it's important to note that there's been an increase in assassinations across the world, and we would expect that those are going to go up.

But I also want to note that threats and attacks on political representatives have gone up globally also. In the U.S., you have three forms of disorder, and they include an

extremely robust protest movement. There's about 50 a day at least at this point.

You have a number of extremist groups or radical groups. And what's notable about these groups is that the people who, in the third group, these lone wolves who are committing a lot of these killings and assassinations, they don't overlap.

I think that it would be very rare to associate any of the recent killings in the U.S. with the extremist or radical groups that we know have come about, certainly in the last ten years.

There's many of those groups, but they are actually not committing the violence that we're speaking about today. And it's important to make that distinction, because the lone wolf attacks that are very common in the U.S. do not map onto -- they don't represent -- the political polarization in the U.S.

It's very convenient to be able to talk about a right-left split when we speak about violence, but often we're talking about the rhetoric people are using and not their actions.

HILL: Which is such an important point.

I was also struck by -- there's what we see online. Right? And we know how much disinformation, how much misinformation exists online.

And I thought it was notable that the governor of Utah earlier tonight in the press conference really called that out, talking about what, in his words, this tremendous amount of disinformation, noting in his words, "Our adversaries want violence."

[00:30:05]

Talking specifically about bots from Russia and China, sort of fueling this political rhetoric, this divisiveness.

How much -- do you have a sense of how much of this is actually being fueled by perhaps bad actors? By -- by even bots looking to stir things up in the United States? And how much of it is actual people putting their views out there?

RALEIGH: It's a great question. I suppose what I would say is more generally, the online cesspool of this rhetoric is certainly being fed by -- by international actors and external actors.

But even if it weren't, there's plenty of that domestically that can fuel some of this heated rhetoric. There really is a distinction between what's discussed and how vehemently its discussed online, and what ends up actually happening.

Many of those extremist groups that I mentioned before, you know, they have very close-knit communities where the rhetoric is extreme for -- for obvious reasons. And that's both on the right and left. But I would certainly say that some of the fissures within the U.S.

system at the moment, whether it's over Gaza or whether it's over some of the Trump administration's policies, they are cultivated. This -- this extremism is cultivated online.

And we hear about it, but we often don't see it acted upon, which is the most important thing.

HILL: Yes. I was -- I was also struck by -- I just wanted to get your take on this. Patti Davis, who, of course, is the daughter of former president Ronald Reagan, was speaking with my colleague Anderson Cooper earlier tonight, just talking about what she sees as the change in the country in terms of how people are reacting to things in 2025 versus 1981.

You know, when her -- when her -- when there was an attempt to on her father's life.

Just take a listen to the way she -- she puts it in terms of what she sees in this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATTI DAVIS, DAUGHTER OF RONALD REAGAN: One of the things that I find not helpful is when elected officials go on air and say, Well, this is not who we are. This is not what America is about.

Really? Because from where I sit, this is exactly who we are right now. And I don't know how we change that or how we fix that, unless you look at it straight on and take ownership of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Based on what you see in your work, is there an effort to take ownership in this country for some of this rhetoric, for what we are seeing?

Again, to your point, there's a difference between the words and what's said and how they're acted upon. But those words are very powerful.

RALEIGH: I don't see an ownership of those words in any way. What I -- what I do see is that people become very entrenched in their -- in their particular way of viewing who's wrong in this argument.

So, you might remember that, before the election, this most recent election, there was a real push to emphasize that it was going to be violent, even though there was no evidence to suggest that.

In fact, if you look at the more extreme groups, they had, actually, a five-year low in in recent months about their activity.

But politicians, on the other hand, are trying to, I think, react to the situation like Mr. Kirk's assassination or react to the very common now lone wolf actions that were seeing within the U.S. But they're unwilling to say we're not actually more polarized than France's or Britain is, or other any -- any other Western country.

But we have allowed for so many weapons to be available to the population that these extreme acts of violence become -- become common.

And then we have to retroactively either justify what was happening or -- or assign blame to the other side.

I think that's a particularly terrible development within the States. And I can only imagine that, if this -- if it turns out that the person who has created the martyr out of Mr. Kirk happens to be on the right or -- or have an incoherent political ideology, which is much more likely, that maybe people will take a little bit more seriously how readily available these weapons are to engage in the complete destruction of public space within the States. And, of course, threats to public officials.

HILL: Yes, Clionadh Raleigh, it's great to have your insight. Thank you so much.

RALEIGH: Thank you.

HILL: Stay with us as we continue to follow the breaking news.

When we return, a closer look at these videos of the shooting and the moments leading up to that particular moment. Stay with us.

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[00:39:33]

HILL: Thanks for joining us here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill. Let's get you caught up on some of the day's top stories.

Officials in Utah continuing to ask for the public's help in tracking down Charlie Kirk's killer, releasing new photos of the suspect.

Kirk, a prominent conservative political activist, was gunned down during an event on Wednesday at Utah Valley University.

Utah's governor says the FBI has now received more than 7,000 tips and leads in the case.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro convicted on Thursday for attempting to overturn that country's 2022 presidential election.

Prosecutors say the former president's coup attempt involved plans to assassinate then-president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a bid to cling to power.

Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison.

Qatar's prime minister will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday. That's according to a source telling CNN of the meeting.

The prime minister also clarified his country does plan to continue its diplomatic work toward peace in Gaza, despite recent Israeli strikes in Qatar's capital. The strikes targeting Hamas leaders, killing six people.

We continue to stay on the breaking news out of Utah, where a manhunt is underway at this hour after the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

Investigators also sharing new video a short time ago, which they say shows the suspect. So, if you look here, it's at the top of your screen on the right there, as we zoom in for you. They say this is the suspect running across the roof of a school building there.

The suspect, it's important to note, has not yet been named or identified publicly, but this. You see, the suspect jumped down there, eventually heading through that grassy area and a parking lot into a wooded area where officials did find a gun.

CNN's Kyung Lah has a closer look now at how this shooting unfolded.

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KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Using video and aerial image analysis, CNN pieced together the shooter's possible movements in the moments before and after Charlie Kirk was assassinated.

The shooter arrived on campus at 11:52 local time, say investigators, and went up to the roof of the Losee Center.

Video taken shortly before Kirk was shot, shows something on top of the roof, possibly a person.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, is there somebody on the roof right there? Just saying.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Huh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just ran from, over -- Where's my finger from? From over there. Ran in, and now he's right there.

LAH (voice-over): Based on aerial images and 3-D analysis CNN has reviewed, the shooter would have been about here. This photo shows orange evidence markers. You can see indentations in the loose gravel on the building's roof, as if someone had been laying [SIC] on it.

A CNN analysis shows that precise angle would have a clear line of sight to where Kirk was sitting, about 150 yards away at his event down below.

Kirk had several security guards lining the fence near the stage as 3,000 people packed into a courtyard. Then, at 12:20.

KIRK: Counting or not counting gang violence? Great.

(GUNSHOT)

LAH (voice-over): Just after the shooting, in this video, you can see someone on the roof running away. This ledge and this ledge appear to be the same.

So, if we watch the video again, we can assume the shooter ran in this general direction, Northeast.

MASON: After the shooting, we were able to track his movements as he moved to the other side of the building, jumped off of the building, and fled off of the campus and into a neighborhood.

LAH (voice-over): In that neighborhood right next to the school, law enforcement has been combing through an area partially blocked off by police tape.

CNN spotted a forensics team going in and out of this wooded area, taking laser scans of the site.

People who live here sent us multiple videos of police activity, and residents tell us law enforcement was there all day long.

Police released this image asking for the public's help to identify a person of interest, pictured wearing a long-sleeve black T-shirt and jeans. The logo on the shirt appears to be from a disabled veterans group.

LAH: Audio analysis captures a signature crackle and pop pattern in the video and that, says audio forensics expert Rob Maher, suggests that it's a single supersonic gunshot.

Now, supersonic rounds are fired from high-powered rifles, ruling out the possibility of a small handgun. Because those rounds from handguns or similar weapons fire below the speed of sound.

Maher's analysis does find that, based on the time between that crack and pop sound and an inferred bullet speed, the firearm would have been located about 150 meters from Kirk's podium.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

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HILL: Still to come, hundreds of South Koreans detained by ICE in the United States expected to return to Seoul in the coming hours. We're live.

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HILL: A chartered flight carrying more than 300 South Korean nationals detained in a U.S. immigration raid is set to arrive in Seoul in the coming hours.

That ICE raid last week, of course, targeted a Hyundai plant under construction in the state of Georgia. That plant itself is a joint effort of the South Korean carmaker and also South Korea's LG Energy Solution. The raid itself triggering an outcry from South Korea, a key U.S.

ally, and also raising questions about foreign investment in the United States.

CNN's Mike Valerio is following developments for us. He is live at South Korea's Incheon International Airport, as we await for this plane to arrive.

Just walk us through what we know in this moment, Mike.

MIKE VALERIO, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sure. Well, certainly, Erica, this is a moment where the country, writ large, gets an opportunity to exhale.

Three hundred sixteen South Korean nationals are coming back to Incheon International Airport, which is just about an hour car ride outside the heart of Seoul, South Korea. And coming back without any black marks on their immigration status; without any criminal charges. So that's certainly seen as a victory.

But after this moment, Erica, the question invariably turns to what is next? What is next for all of these companies, especially South Korean companies, that have investment projects that exist or are going to be developed down the line? Because no company wants anything like this to happen to their workforce.

So, in that vein, we heard from South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung, speaking at a news conference on his 100th day in office, addressing that very question.

He said, when we open the aperture and think of the broader view, the alliance is still preserved. The friendship is still preserved between the United States and South Korea.

But he did concede that, if you're a company, there's no way that you are not going to be thinking about what just happened.

Let's listen to him in his own words.

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LEE JAE MYUNG, SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT (through translator): From the perspective of companies, they will be concerned about disadvantageous treatment or facing difficulties when they're building factories in the United States.

That could probably have a significant impact on direct investment in the U.S. in the future.

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VALERIO: So, what's going to happen in about an hour from now, those 316 people coming in from such a long flight from Atlanta, they're going to walk a couple meters away from us in groups of 28, go on bus by bus, and then be brought home, reunite with the rest of their families. Moving forward, the question is, what happens to the visa system between South Korea, a key ally, and the United States? President Lee said yesterday there are discussions in the works to perhaps have a new classification of visa; to perhaps issue more visas.

The whole goal here is to prevent anything like this from happening again, especially when President Trump's economic agenda relies on an ally like this helping to make American manufacturing and the technological sector great again.

So, in sum, it's the hope that this is an end to a very unfortunate chapter, Erica.

HILL: Yes. And especially, as you point out, Mike, we know that President Trump has touted again and again these promised investments from so many foreign companies, including this one in building that plant.

Certainly, a bit of a delicate dance. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is set to spend several decades now behind bars after being convicted on Thursday for attempting to overturn his country's 2022 presidential election.

He was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. Prosecutors arguing Bolsonaro supported actions that would have led to violence and the assassination of then president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

In the days leading up to that verdict, a lot of protests in the street. Thousands there, as you can see, taking to the streets to support the former president.

The trial, of course, has also been a focus for the U.S. president, Donald Trump, a longtime Bolsonaro ally.

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TRUMP: I watched that trial. I know him pretty well, and foreign leader who was a good I thought he was a good president of Brazil, and it's very surprising that that could happen.

That's very much like they tried to do with me, but they didn't get away with it at all.

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HILL: CNN's Julia Vargas Jones has been following all these developments and has more.

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JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is hard to overstate the importance of this decision for Brazil.

JONES (voice-over): The Supreme Court not only convicting former President Jair Bolsonaro, also sentencing him to 27 years in three months in prison.

This leaves Bolsonaro, now 70, facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.

The decision could still be appealed, and once the appeals are exhausted, it might still take some weeks for an arrest to take place.

Bolsonaro is already under house arrest, and he has been barred from running for office until 2030.

JONES: Still, this decision is an extraordinary break from Brazil's history of deferring justice in the name of peace. Previous coup attempts have not been tried, and several of the justices alluded to that as they read their decisions.

JONES (voice-over): One of the justices saying that this case represents an encounter between Brazil's past, its present, and its future, pointing to the country's history of authoritarianism as the reason it is so important to safeguard democracy now, 40 years after the end of military rule.

Bolsonaro was found guilty on five counts: plotting a coup, leading an armed criminal organization, trying to abolish democratic order by force, committing violent acts against state institutions, and damaging protected property.

Throughout this trial, prosecutors presented extraordinary evidence: coup decrees printed on palace printing machines, and even proposals to poison President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da silva, his vice president, and to bomb sites tied to the Supreme Court.

It is also important to remember that it was because of this very trial that the White House imposed earlier this summer, 50 percent tariffs on Brazil, calling the case politically motivated, including President Trump himself, who said soon after the ruling that he was very surprised with the outcome.

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Minutes after the sentencing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also wrote, quote, "The political persecutions by sanctioned human rights abuser Alexandre de Moraes continue as he and others on Brazil's Supreme Court have unjustly ruled to imprison former President Jair Bolsonaro. The United States will respond accordingly to this witch hunt."

JONES: Now back in Brazil, conservative lawmakers are now rushing to pass an amnesty law in an attempt to save the former president from the sentencing.

For Brazil, both the trial and the coming days will be a stress test for its democracy, its young democracy, I'll add, which is right now deeply divided.

Supporters saying that the ruling proves that no one is above the law.

But critics argue that the judiciary in Brazil has grown too powerful, and that Bolsonaro did not get a fair chance to make this case.

But beyond that, Brazil now facing growing concern that it may suffer even harsher consequences from the United States after this decision.

Julia Vargas Jones, CNN.

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HILL: Thanks so much for joining me for this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Erica Hill. We're going to fit in a quick break here. I'll see you right back at the top of the hour.

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