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Erin Burnett Outfront
Manhunt Intensifies For Shooter In Charlie Kirk Assassination; First Kirk Questioner; Warning From MAGA. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired September 11, 2025 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:19]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next:
The breaking news, a frantic manhunt for Charlie Kirk's killer nearly 30 hours on the run. How did the shooter make a getaway? There are new clues tonight. Big developments in the manhunt, as we understand it at this moment.
And, an eyewitness who asked Kirk a question moments before he was shot and killed joins us. What he saw and heard in those seconds leading up to the murder.
And, warning, it's about to get a lot worse in this country. That is the chilling threat from some of MAGA's youngest and most passionate members tonight.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.
OUTFRONT tonight, the breaking news, a massive manhunt for the killer who assassinated Trump ally Charlie Kirk at this hour. FBI Director Kash Patel at the scene any moment now, we expect him to be arriving shortly, flew from Washington, going to be taking questions when he's on the ground. So, we expect that any moment. Of course, we'll bring that to you.
Also this hour, live pictures out of Phoenix. And this is where in moments, Air Force Two will be landing. Air Force Two carrying Charlie Kirk's casket along with his family and back in Utah at this moment, authorities claim that there are rapid developments, those are their words, in the case. They are scouring the area still around Utah Valley University. More than 200 tips, they say, have come. The manhunt now, though, is 30 hours in duration, obviously, and every moment counts.
We do have new images of who the FBI tonight says is -- their words for this -- a person of interest. So, we're showing you on the screen. Investigators say this is a male and he appears to be of college age- ish. According to the grainy images, he's wearing sunglasses. As you can see, baseball cap and a long sleeve shirt with an American flag and a bald eagle on it if you zoom in, that's what you'll see there. It looks like a dark pants jeans. These images, taken by a security camera shortly before the shooting
took place on Wednesday. So just to give you the time sensitive of it. It was before. Authorities are also scrambling to trace the shooter's movements, specifically before the attack and also afterwards, of course.
New video appears to show a person lying down on the same roof where Kirk was shot from. And according to CNN's analysis, that video that you're looking at here was actually filmed an hour before the shooting. So, if that is the shooter would indicate obviously in position well before this event began, because this is an hour before the shooting.
Video also emerging of what appears to be an individual running on the roof after Kirk was shot. Now, the location where these two things happened is about 150 yards from where Kirk was sitting. So, a few hundred feet. Investigators are also recovering the rifle that is believed to have been used in the attack, and according to a source, we understand about that, it was equipped with a long-distance scope.
Keep in mind, of course, that this shooter, like a sniper, did this in one shot. Just a short time ago, President Trump spoke about the fast moving investigation tonight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: Why haven't they found the shooter yet, Mr. President? Are you concerned that it's been 24 hours?
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I hear they're making big progress, and we'll have to see what happens.
REPORTER: Do you have any -- do you have any indication of the shooter's motivation, sir?
TRUMP: I have an indication yeah, but we'll let you know about that later.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TAPPER: Ed Lavandera OUTFRONT. He is in Orem, Utah.
And, Ed, what are you seeing and learning there as? Of course, we await the FBI director momentarily.
ED LAVANDERA, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Erin.
Well, we're in a neighborhood that is on the edge of the campus. And as you look over the tree lines here, those are the rooftops of the buildings that have been such the main focus of the investigation here. But back in this neighborhood, we also know that investigators has been -- have been spending a great deal of time looking into this area. They have been combing through the area.
This could -- area, this could have been one of the ways that this gunman was able to escape the shooting scene. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAVANDERA (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: Next to the Utah Valley University campus. In the chaotic moments after the shooting, dispatchers had a description of the possible gunman.
DISPATCHER: Wearing all black, black long gun, black tactical helmet, a black mask, possibly wearing a tactical vest and jeans.
LAVANDERA: 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 EYEWITNESS: He had black sunglasses. He had a black COVID mask.
[19:05:00]
He had a 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: 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: There's somebody on the roof right there.
LAVANDERA: And say they have what they call good video of the suspect.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That individual appears to be of college age.
LAVANDERA: That video has not yet been released.
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, FBI UTAH SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: That rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the shooter had fled. It is a high powered, bolt-action rifle.
LAVANDERA: 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.
LAVANDERA: And law enforcement officials say they have more details about the shooter's movements on Wednesday.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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: 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.
QUESTIONER: Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last ten years?
CHARLIE KIRK, CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST: Counting or not counting gang violence?
QUESTIONER: Great.
(GUN SHOT)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get down, get down, get down.
LAVANDERA: 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.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 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)
LAVANDERA: Now, Erin, roughly about five hours ago, investigators here in Utah said that there were rapidly developing situation in this investigation. They had to postpone a press conference because of that. But since then, we have not gotten any indication that there's any kind of looming update as to how this investigation is progressing at this point. So, it's gone very quiet from an investigative standpoint over the last five hours -- Erin.
BURNETT: All right. Ed, thank you very much in terms of publicly what we know, and as I said, we're waiting the FBI director who's now imminently on the ground going to speak. So, we'll see what that means.
Everyone's with me.
Ed Davis, I want to start with you. Former Boston police commissioner. In that capacity, you ran the Boston marathon manhunt for the Tsarnaevs. So you have been in a manhunt situation that's gone on for days.
This one still ongoing. Were 30 hours in and counting. And now, as ed said, they said rapidly developing and then have gone at least publicly silent for a few hours. How close do you think they are?
ED DAVIS, TOP POLICE OFFICIAL WHO LED BOSTON BOMBING MANHUNT & INVESTIGATION: Well, it seems to me like they're close. They have a really good photograph. I think that if someone knows this young man and is familiar with him, they'll be able to identify him and hopefully reach out to the authorities. But a lot depends on where this individual made his way to and whether they are about to take him into custody. They don't want to move too quickly and put too much out on the air if they have a dragnet and a location for a guy like this.
So, they're going to be watching him very closely. Hopefully, they're close to him and we'll see some resolution to this quickly.
BURNETT: Yeah. I mean, when you look at that image, I mean, obviously you would think if you knew that person, you would know who they were. I mean, it appeared to me obviously just covering these sorts of things a much clearer image than they had, for example, of Luigi Mangione. And people were able to recognize him from that.
Tim, you know, you know this area well. You were actually recently even in Orem, Utah. So just pulling up this map again, when you see the location where Kirk was shot, the building where officials say the shooter fired from, which is by our estimates, about a football field and a half away, and then that surrounding area where you just heard authorities say they believe that initially at least, he had fled to a neighborhood around there.
How difficult would it have been or, you know, will it be for him to escape the area entirely?
TIM CLEMENTE, FORMER FBI COUNTERTERRORISM AGENT: It wouldn't be difficult at all, unfortunately, Erin, because you have a major interstate highway that travels right through there, right through Orem, through Provo, up to Salt Lake City, and down south into Las Vegas and California.
[19:10:07]
And Interstate 15 is very easy to access from that area. He could have had a vehicle staged or someone waiting for him. There's also a large, very rugged mountain terrain just to the east of there, and then large body of water. I think it's Provo Bay. That's right there. And he could have escaped by boat, a rowboat, a canoe, anything.
So, he had a lot of avenues of escape, and obviously, he planned how he was getting in there, and I'm sure he had a plan for how he was going to get out of there. So, it makes it difficult, but not impossible for authorities to find him.
BURNETT: Right.
And, Casey, as a profiler, from what you've been able to gather so far about the suspect, including the images that we have, right? It's all that we have at this point. What do you think the suspect is doing right now? And how dangerous could he be given, of course, that there has been some, you know, a weapon recovered?
JORDAN: Well, he's on the lam, and no matter what the motive was, there is a political aspect to it.
And whether or not he had a very clear escape plan, it seems clear because 30 hours later, we still don't' have him. But the clothing he's wearing that we see in that photograph, you know, I would argue that this is most likely a red herring, a contra indicator. And you know, that American flag and the bald eagle, this is to make him blend into the crowd so that he can get into the crowd. And it looks like he has his tactical vest on under that shirt.
So had an escape plan, had a backpack in the woods where he dumped the gun because even with a trench coat, you can't get very far with a gun under it without people noticing. So, the plan was very, very carefully thought out.
And the escape plan will be, too. I think the greater question is, what will he do next? Because sometimes people just plan on doing one specific mission-oriented rid the world of this particular person assassination. But once they're on the lam, they get desperate. They might kill somebody to get a getaway car. They sometimes don't have a plan beyond a day or two.
And if the manhunt continues, if we don't get him soon, that could really become a very dangerous scenario for the public at large.
BURNETT: Yeah. And I mean, here's the thing. Obviously, it was planned and premeditated in many ways. And yet they've got really good video of him. I mean, it looks that way to us, right? If that was somebody you knew, you would know who it was.
They have markings on ammunition. They have a rifle. They have a lot for somebody who did a good job planning. Obviously, they don't have him yet, but how significant is this amount of evidence, Ed?
DAVIS: Well, it's almost an embarrassment of evidence here.
BURNETT: Yeah.
DAVIS: And you're right. He planned this, no question about it. But he left an enormous amount of leads for the police to follow up on. And so sometimes you wonder if the motivation is to get caught so that he can make public statements about what his positions are.
It's hard to understand what they're thinking. He certainly got away, but that's not the most complicated thing in the world. If he had staged a car, you know, he's out of there very quickly, and it takes a couple of days to run somebody down even if you know who they are. But I'm really surprised at the at the level of evidence that was left there and the ability of the police to be able to put a case together on this guy. BURNETT: Remember, Tim, if you think back to Luigi Mangione, right,
found because someone who worked at McDonald's, I believe it was McDonald's, recognized him from the, you know, and made the call right, in Pennsylvania. So, another state. So, it gotten pretty far. We have no idea where this individual is.
But they did talk about these rapid developments earlier. And then silence. Having been in the center of these things, Tim, what do you think that means?
CLEMENTE: I think that means they're zeroing in on a geographic location where they believe he might be. They don't want to give up that geographic location to the public, because then it might alert him or alert others that would support him. Sadly, after Charlie's killing yesterday, thousands of people took to the Internet to support the killing. And so, who knows what number of people might be in that immediate vicinity that would support him.
Like Eric Rudolph when he was hiding in the mountains of North Carolina, and he had a little bit of a support base. This guy, unfortunately, has a very large support base. It's very sad to think of.
So not alerting the public in this case may be very helpful to law enforcement to be able to close that dragnet and bring this suspect into custody, hopefully before the day is out.
BURNETT: And, Casey, do you think we'll hear from him? I mean, I guess it depends how he chooses to go? I mean, right, I mean, obviously, he could -- there could be a firefight. He could -- he could kill himself. We don't know. Right? We don't know.
But are we -- what can you discern about him?
JORDAN: Well, more than half of your shooters with their mission- oriented, will be -- kill themselves or do suicide by cop. But a lot of them do want to stick around. I mean, we have the shooter from the Minnesota politicians, lawmakers assassinations. We have Luigi Mangione.
And I mean, the bottom line is don't take whatever's written on that rifle at face value.
[19:15:03]
These could all be contra indicators, red herrings, and there could be something just intrinsically personal to this particular shooter. Maybe with that one shot, he was trying to prove that he was sniper worthy. Maybe he got passed over for a law -- in law -- for a position in law enforcement or in the military. Didn't make the SWAT team.
You never know until we catch them. So, conjecture at this point is a little bit dangerous. I know we'll catch him. And at that time, I hope he'll talk, because we can learn a lot about that motive if and when he does.
BURNETT: Thank you all three very much. I appreciate you.
Next, I'm going to talk to a man who asked the first question to Charlie Kirk at the Utah event, just moments before Kirk was shot. He asked that first question.
And young conservatives rocked by Kirk's assassination. Tonight, some with a warning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I take no pleasure in thinking this way, but things might be about to get a lot worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And she traveled the country by Kirk side, but also made a name for herself. Who is Charlie Kirk's wife?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:20:33]
BURNETT: Breaking news, new video showing Vice President Vance helping carry Charlie Kirk's casket. That's Air Force Two in Utah. And Vance along with others, you can see, they're carrying that casket. Air Force Two took off and is landing shortly in Arizona. Sort of a somber, unbelievable moment to look at as an American.
Arizona is Kirk lived with his wife and his two very young children. That plane right now with the casket is in the air. So, we'll be seeing that land and that somber arrival.
Our next guest was the first person to take the mic at Kirk's event yesterday. And so, you can see him there asking about religion in the Mormon Church just moments before Kirk was shot and killed. Let me play for you this exchange.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE KIRK, CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST: This should be a fun, polite discussion. Mormons -- by the way, I love how Mormons have more kids than they can afford. I think it's time for Mormons, you got to get your mojo back. No more of this LGBT stuff. (INAUDIBLE) Mormon Church back in this country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Henry Dells is OUTFRONT now. He was the one asking the questions.
And, Henry, obviously, I'm very sorry for what you witnessed and what you have now gone through. You were -- you were there yesterday asking questions, standing actually at the front because as Charlie Kirk walked out to the crowd and then you got selected to ask the first question. I mean, literally moments before he was killed, right?
You get picked, you start asking your question.
Can I just ask you first of all, Henry, and I -- what it was like for you, what it meant to you to have that interaction with him, to be picked, to ask a question.
HENRY DELLS, QUESTIONED CHARLIE KIRK BEFORE HE WAS SHOT: Yeah. I mean, it was -- it was something that was unbelievable to me. I actually found out just like a couple days earlier that Charlie was actually coming to town. And, you know, I, a couple friends messaged me from UVU. They said, hey, we should all collectively, collectively try to go and ask him a question.
I mean, he was a big, monumental figure for us. And I, me and a bunch of friends do apologetics and debate all the time. And we love his debate tactics and we study it and we do it often. And he was a big inspiration to us, and it meant a lot.
BURNETT: So you ask your question and obviously he's talking about Mormons there, and wanting them to have a lot of children. And then you were done, right? And you passed the mic to the next person, right?
And the next person after you, Henry, and this is something I don't know if has sunk into you and really in so many ways, but that's the person who asked the question about transgender shooters, right? The question that was right before Kirk was shot.
Now, I understand, Henry, that you did have a chance to speak with the person who asked that question. It was a man before the event started. What can you tell us about that conversation when you were talking about your questions? The chance that you both had to ask one.
DELLS: Yeah. After we each kind of got selected, they picked about four or five of us to be at the front of the line. We each kind of had about five -- five to six minutes where we just kind of discussed, like, hey, like, what are we going to talk about? What are your questions and what are your questions?
You know, there was a lady that was going to talk about some abortion issues, which was understandable. Charlie talks about him all the time. There was some racial issues and his was transgenderism. And, you know, the white people feel like they are something that they aren't.
And, I never got anything out of that or even heard anything where he was going to refer to anything about shooting. I think it's -- I don't -- I mean, I don't know if it was purposeful or not or what the whole thing was, but it was shocking to me just looking back after the events, the sequencing of everything. And I think it kind of just leaves me guessing a little bit.
BURNETT: Right, because you're saying he you knew it was a question about transgenderism, but it sounds like from your conversation with him, could you tell that he disagreed with Charlie on that issue? Or could you not even tell that? DELLS: I -- yes. Yes, ma'am. As a matter of fact, I think I was, which was kind of ironic. The first person asking the question, I actually really didn't disagree with Charlie on a lot of things in regards to politics. I agree. The only -- I had to find the religious aspect so I could find something to disagree with him on.
But the three people behind me all had things that they disagreed with Charlie on.
[19:25:01]
Like I said, it was either transgenderism. It was either a race aspect, or if it was what was the other thing?
BURNETT: Yeah.
DELLS: Something, I forget. I'm sorry. I apologize.
BURNETT: That's all right. That's all right. I certainly didn't mean to put you on the spot in that way, Henry, but I -- I actually, just as you and I are speaking, we got a new video from the person from the guy after you, right? The one who asked the question about transgender shootings that you're -- that you're explaining had told you he was going to ask about transgenderism but did not mention shooting at all.
That person just shared a video statement, with us. Just got it. I haven't heard it myself. Let me play it. You and I can hear it together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUNTER KOZAK, QUESTIONED CHARLIE KIRK BEFORE HE WAS SHOT: 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? Are we crazy? Like --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Obviously, you know, he's emotional and upset there as well, Henry.
What's your reaction hearing that? Of course. That's the young man who asked the question right after you.
DELLS: Yeah. Yes, ma'am. Yeah, I think -- I kind of feel for him a little bit because I can definitely understand that how some people might be giving him some backlash just because the sequence of how he articulated his question and then what came immediately after, and, you know, I've had even, you know, thoughts of scenarios of like, oh, maybe this is something that's, you know, was involved in sequence and stuff, but, I also never left out the fact that, hey, it could have just been a coincidence. And, you know, when I was speaking with the individual prior to, I
never felt like he had any hatred for Charlie and that I can -- I can testify he seemed like an ordinary kid who just had a difference of opinion.
And we actually shared a little bit because my family does -- we definitely are all conservative. We were different. I got some that are left, some that are right. My dad's kind of in the middle. And so, I have to live that -- I have to deal with that every day. And so, I understand what he's saying. We're all human and we should love each other.
BURNETT: Well, Henry, thank you very much for coming on and for talking about all of this. I know it's not easy. And in a moment like this, perhaps the easiest thing to do is to say nothing. But I really appreciate I know everyone does appreciate hearing you talking about it. Thank you.
DELLS: Thank you.
BURNETT: And now, the former FBI deputy director, Andrew McCabe.
And, Director, you know, interesting there just hearing from the young man who asked the question about the transgender shooters. He's the one who just provided that video.
And the man who asked the question from Henry, we were just talking to saying they had talked before and you know, what's your reaction when you hear that? I mean, obviously, he's quite broken up about what happened. I mean, the fact that it was during his question that the shooter killed Charlie Kirk.
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Yeah. I mean, I think probably what we're dealing with here is, is an awful coincidence, and I say particularly awful for him. And, you know, the reason, you know, we can -- we can conclude that is because there's not been a single piece of evidence or a single fact reported in any venue that I'm aware of that connects that man who asked the question about transgender issues and shootings to the -- to the event itself and in fact -- I'm sorry, to the attack, to the assassination itself.
In fact, the authorities have said they're confident that the person they're looking for is the only person who is involved in it.
BURNETT: Yeah, they have, yeah.
MCCABE: So I -- you know, I can -- I can understand why he's -- he's kind of reeling from his connection to this absolutely horrible event. It'll be something he'll be thinking about for a long time. But it also seemed like the way he was staging the question, he was -- he was building up to try to make a point that even though this question of transgender people participating in mass shootings or school shootings has been something discussed in the public forum, lately, like the numbers don't bear it out, essentially.
BURNETT: Right. MCCABE: It's still a very small portion of the total number of mass shootings.
BURNETT: Right, right. And of course, in the context of what we've heard out of Trump's DOJ, right? The possibility of banning anybody who is transgender from having a weapon, right, which even, the NRA has come out against.
So, we understand a director that the current FBI director, Kash Patel, is in Utah now going to assist with the investigation is what we've been told, that he's going to be speaking. He's been posting updates on social media.
And around this time last night, he said a subject was in custody. Two hours later, the subject in custody has been released.
[19:30:00]
So how unusual or is it unusual when we talk about his handling of this?
MCCABE: Yeah, it's totally unusual. It's -- it's, you know, I worked for many FBI directors, and some of them, I worked with them quite closely. And, of course, I served as the acting director for some time.
In my experience, I'm trying to think of, you know, after 9/11, Robert Mueller came and visited us. I was working in New York City at the time, working the 9/11 case as a street agent. And Director Mueller came to visit the investigators several days after 9/11. And so that -- that's maybe one example.
I know that Jim Comey took a trip to Orlando to visit with victims of -- and relatives of the victims of the Pulse shooting --
BURNETT: Yeah.
MCCABE: -- several days after the shooting.
There -- I don't ever remember director going to actually participate in the investigation while it's -- while it's still happening. And there are very good reasons for that, that the FBI tries to be very typically anyway or previously tried to be very sensitive about its relationship with state and local law enforcement officials, especially when we're working with them in a team on a distinctly local issue.
And that's what this is right now. This is -- for right now, this is a state homicide investigation. And we have a -- we have a unfortunate history of, you know, of elbowing other agencies out of the way and kind of not playing nice in the sandbox. So, directors try to overcompensate for that and let the local officials who are who are kind of responding to their community make the announcements.
We don't put the information out ourselves. We support at the press conference, but they go first. Those sorts of things. And I think Director Patel's unfortunate postings yesterday, hasty, I
would add, postings on social media show exactly why that's not a good idea. You never want to get out and act on bad information. A lot of the information you get in a crisis event is not accurate initially.
BURNETT: Yeah.
MCCABE: And so, it's usually better to be careful about that.
BURNETT: All right. Director McCabe, thank you. I appreciate it.
MCCABE: Thanks.
BURNETT: And next, Charlie Kirk, why he was so important. He shaped a generation of young conservatives. And tonight, they're speaking to CNN about their fears now after his assassination.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think people are going to become a lot more radical. I think that goes without saying.
(END VIDEO CLPI)
BURNETT: And President Trump, speaking to Kirk's wife, Erika, saying she's absolutely devastated. And tonight, we are learning more about her. She shared Kirk's beliefs and she spoke openly about their vulnerabilities.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[19:36:54]
BURNETT: Breaking news, we've got new video into OUTFRONT of the manhunt for the person who shot and killed Charlie Kirk. This new video -- showing it to you now -- this is investigators searching through a neighborhood near the college campus where Kirk was killed and where the shooter may have escaped. So they're -- they're there.
The FBI now offering a reward of up to $100,000 for any information leading to the ID and arrest of the shooter. They've put pictures of him out, obviously, from the security camera footage. And it comes as some supporters of Kirk are warning that they fear people are going to turn more radical in the wake of the murder.
Elle Reeve is OUTFRONT.
(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
thinking this way, but things might be about to get a lot worse.
REEVE: 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 blackface 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: 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 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: It's hard to escape, especially in alternative media. The members of the MAGA movement, who are now talking about war.
ALEX JONES, INFOWARS HOST: We're in a war.
REEVE: Good versus evil, and an American tipping point.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing.
STEVE BANNON, PODCAST HOST: Charlie Kirk's a casualty of war. We're at war in this country.
CAMPBELL: Look, there is political violence on both sides and political violence on both sides is equally reprehensible.
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: 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 -- yeah. 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.
[19:40:07]
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.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: And Elle is here with me now. Also with us, former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger.
I mean, Elle, you know, incredibly, you were able to go out immediately and speak to them. And they were willing to share what they thought.
One of those young men that people that you spoke to but he says he believes people are going to get more radical. And they say people -- people are going to get more radical. Another said, and the quote, things might be about to get a lot worse.
I mean, you had a full conversation with them. Youve been talking to others who share their beliefs. Other young people. Is that now that overwhelming?
REEVE: Yes. For two reasons. One, it was radicalizing in itself to be on social media. Like if you're a very online person, you end up watching the horrible graphic video of him dying over and over. And that is a radicalizing experience for these people.
Second, they see Kirk as a moderate with a huge young person audience. He was the last moderate, and with him gone, the people left behind are much more far-right than him, for example.
BURNETT: So they see him as a moderate.
REEVE: Yes. Far right people would try to infiltrate Kirk's events, at Turning Point, and they would often get kicked out. And one of them being Nick Fuentes, a far right guy who was kicked out of one of Kirk's events and has a massive following as a podcaster.
BURNETT: Wow. So, they saw him as a moderate.
I mean, Congressman, you heard voices on the right. You know, obviously, you see these individuals that Elle's talking to young people, but some of the real established leaders -- leaders in the far right, Steve Bannon, said Charlie Kirk's a casualty of war. Alex Jones said, quoting him, we just said it, we're in a war.
So, they used that word. This is how they responded to it yesterday.
Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis said something that really stood out to us. He told "The National Journal". And I want to quote Mr. Tillis: When I -- what I was really disgusted
by yesterday is a couple of talking heads that sees this as an opportunity to say we're at war, so they could get some sort of conservative followers lathered up over this. It seems like a cheap, disgusting, awful way to pretend like you're the leader of a conservative movement. And there were two in particular that I found particularly disgusting.
Now, obviously, it's -- maybe he's referring to somebody else. Seems he's probably referring to those two individuals. But obviously, he didn't -- he didn't say them by name.
What do you make of him saying that and does that -- does it matter?
ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I mean, it does matter because what I think is really important now is for leaders, all leaders, not just the president, but also especially the president to try to cool tempers here.
This doesn't end well. I think the young people that were interviewed were right. They -- they're right to fear this gets worse. And by the way, if it gets worse, it's not just worse against one side you will see a spiral into violence like we saw in the '60s. You know, like other countries have had.
And there's never been a person that ever lived in an environment like that that would come out of it and say their country and their life was better off because of the violence. And so, what this moment calls for is for leaders, and I will say, especially the president of the United States, not to point fingers.
We still don't necessarily know what motivated the shooter, although it's probably political.
BURNETT: Yeah.
KINZINGER: But it's important for the president to come out and say, we're going to, you know, no retribution. We're going to settle temperatures. This has to stop.
BURNETT: Congressman, I ask you one more thing. CNN actually spoke to Kirk three days before he died. He was invited to Japan, actually, by the conservative party as the MAGA movement actually has gone overseas, right, to Japan.
And I want to play part of what he said to CNN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRK: I learned, especially the last couple of months, that, you know, with mass immigration and many other issues, that this -- this country is going through, some of the similar type of dynamics that I see in France and in Germany and the U.K., and of course, in our country.
Even my greatest critics would agree that if you put 30 million Pakistanis in Japan, Japan's not Japan anymore. That's not xenophobia. It's common sense.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: What does it say, Congresswoman, about Kirk and his influence, right, that he was invited to speak in a place like Japan?
KINZINGER: You have to admit, he was very influential. This is somebody I disagreed with a lot of what he said, but he -- I think he's mainly responsible for why the young generation has seemingly turned conservative. So, it will leave a hole in the conservative movement, for sure. And it will be interesting to see what fills that.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you both very much. And to Elle for that incredible reporting.
And next, Charlie Kirk pointed to his wife when speaking about his conservative values. Who is Erika Kirk?
[19:45:01]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIKA KIRK, CHARLIE KIRK'S WIFE: I literally won the jackpot with my husband.
C. KIRK: Vice versa.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: And live pictures from Phoenix, Arizona. Air Force Two expected to land there at any moment. The jet carrying Kirk's casket along with his family on board.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: All right. These are live pictures. Air Force Two in Phoenix just landing the jet carrying Charlie Kirk's casket along with his family. We're going to see them deplane in just moments here. Arizona is where Kirk lived with his wife and two young children.
An hour ago, Vice President J.D. Vance helped carry Kirk's casket onto Air Force Two in Utah. Seen placing his hand on Kirk's casket. We'll see them get off here in just a few moments, as President Trump says he spoke earlier with Charlie Kirk's wife, offering these details about their call.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I spoke to Erika, his wife, and we had a long talk, and she's devastated. She is absolutely devastated, as you can imagine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BURNETT: Tonight, we are learning more about Erika Kirk, Erika Kirk, who will see in just a moment, founder of a faith based clothing line, a podcast host, a former model. Sunlen Serfaty is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
C. KIRK: The beautiful, legendary Erika.
E. KIRK: I love you so much.
C. KIRK: I love you.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT 9voice-over): For 36-year-old Erika Kirk --
E. KIRK: I literally won the jackpot with my husband.
C. KIRK: Vice versa.
SERFATY: Her marriage to 31-year-old Charlie Kirk became the center of her life, with much of it playing out in public.
E. KIRK: I love you.
C. KIRK: I love you, too.
SERFATY: Second only, she says to her first priority, her faith.
E. KIRK: Now more than ever, your faith has to be so on fire.
SERFATY: The two have been married for four years, getting engaged two years after their first meeting.
E. KIRK: Do you think that I had an issue understanding where Charlie stood when he looked at me across Bill's Burgers table and said, "I'm not going to hire you. I'm going to date you"?
[19:50:00]
SERFATY: They went on to have two kids, a one-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl.
E. KIRK: Motherhood, it's not a pause. It's a launch pad.
SERFATY: She's committed herself to homeschooling their kids while supporting him.
E. KIRK: I love submitting to Charlie because he's a phenomenal leader and the way that he loves me, like, melts me to want to be able to help -- how can I help you?
SERFATY: By his side, as he traveled the country, but also speaking out herself.
E. KIRK: I want you guys to be able to just live such an abundant, joy filled life that you know how to battle in the trenches of this world and the foxholes of this culture.
SERFATY: Not just espousing his political beliefs.
E. KIRK: My husband, Charlie Kirk, is a force.
SERFATY: But complementing his with what she says are her more conservative values.
C. KIRK: I am a moderate compared to Erika. Erika is very conservative and -- yeah.
E. KIRK: I was raised well.
SERFATY: Raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, by her mother. Her parents divorced when she was young. Her grandfather was an immigrant from Sweden. She studied political science in college and is working on her doctorate in Christian leadership in biblical studies. She was briefly an NCAA women's basketball player.
E. KIRK: Everyone thought I was a little boy because I wore Jordan and all these different types of athletic clothes.
SERFATY: Crowned Miss Arizona in 2012.
E. KIRK: I love to work out. I love to spend time with my family. I love to play with my dogs.
SERFATY: She has a nonprofit --
E. KIRK: Internationally, we support and sustain several orphanages throughout Europe.
SERFATY: -- a devotional podcast and a Christian clothing company.
E. KIRK: I guess you could say I'm a social entrepreneur where I find little pockets within a culture that I like to disrupt.
SERFATY: Her partnership in life and politics with Kirk often tinged with concern for their wellbeing, something she mentioned during her most recent podcast.
E. KIRK: You know, my husband is on college campuses getting screamed at by college kids as he's trying to share with them the truth. And he is so calm.
Would I be calm? No, I wouldn't. I barely go to those only because I don't trust myself. Not climbing over the table and like attacking someone in the crowd because I'm very protective of my husband.
SERFATY: She acknowledged his appearances made them vulnerable, but in conversation with her husband, committed to stay their chosen course together.
E. KIRK: Do I get hate? Bring it on.
C. KIRK: Exactly.
E. KIRK: I'll have a -- I'll have a -- of velvet steel spine by the end of -- end of my life. So, bring it on. I have nothing to fear.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: These are live pictures of Air Force Two now in Phoenix. Erika on board, the family and Kirk's casket, along with Vice President Vance.
Meena Duerson is in Phoenix at the airport. That plane, just moments ago, as we were airing that piece about Erika.
So, you're -- you're looking there at that plane. We understand the casket is on board. The family is on board, and we expect to see them any moment.
MEENA DUERSON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we are seeing, you know, people coming off of the plane. We did, you know, we did see Vice President Biden loading -- helping to load that casket back in Utah. So they were on the plane for the past hour or so. And now, we're seeing, you know, he was expected to accompany the Kirk family to here to Phoenix, where they live. And then the vice president is expected to not stay. He's expected to get back on this plane and take off while the family is expected to take Charlie Kirk's remains to a private location.
So, we are just, you know, able to see some people exiting the plane as we speak -- Erin.
BURNETT: No, you know, we expect to see them coming off and as, as we know, Vice President Vance put his hand on the casket as they loaded the casket onto Air Force Two, really just not long ago, only about a half an hour ago for this very short flight to bring Charlie Kirk's remains home.
Kristen Holmes is with us.
Kristen, J.D. Vance going here to Utah, to Phoenix instead of New York on 9/11, doing that for Charlie Kirk, not just in his role as vice president, but they were extremely close as friends, right?
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: They had an incredibly close personal relationship. It was friendly, but also J.D. Vance essentially credited all of his success politically to Charlie Kirk.
A couple of things to keep in mind here. One, Vance was really someone who wasn't on anyone's radar, particularly in Trump world. He was someone who was reviled. He had spoken out against Donald Trump repeatedly. And it was Charlie Kirk who introduced him to Don Jr., Donald Trump's son.
In addition to that, Kirk convinced Donald Trump, Jr., Don Jr., that Vance had changed his ways, his mind that he really did believe in Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. And it wasn't an easy thing to do. Everyone had seen those clips of Vance.
[19:55:01] In addition to that -- I mean, what we know is that it was Don Jr. who pushed Donald Trump over the line when he was picking his vice presidential pick, and that's why he chose J.D. Vance. All of these things in a succession.
Even before that, Charlie Kirk and J.D. Vance tangentially knew each other. They had spoken. And when Vance wanted to run for Senate in Ohio, he went to Charlie Kirk to ask him for advice, to ask him if he thought he could help him, or if he thought he could even win in Ohio. At that point, internal polling showed him barely crossing over into single digits, and it was Kirk who introduced him around who encouraged him.
And that story, just so you know, is one that we've heard repeatedly from so many people in Trump's orbit. Even last night, we saw the press secretary who before she was doing this, she did run for Congress at 23 years old in New Hampshire. And she said one of her biggest advocates was Charlie Kirk. He was always pushing youth forward.
But when it comes to J.D. Vance and Charlie Kirk, it wasn't just them that were friends. Their families were friends. They had spent an enormous amount of time together and in some ways, they had very similar roles within the Trump administration. Of course, J.D. Vance is the vice president, and that is a huge position. Charlie Kirk was not in the administration, however, both of them often have served as a mediator when there are tense relationships between various cabinet members.
I'll remind you, of course, of Pam Bondi and Kash Patel over the Epstein files. We know it was J.D. Vance who negotiated that.
I was also told at points that when things were very tense between President Trump and Elon Musk, Charlie Kirk was talking to Elon Musk, was encouraging him to come around to stop speaking poorly about the agenda. He -- they're both seen as kind of these peacemakers in various ways. They had a skill set or have a skill set where they're able to talk to both, you know, both sides of a problem.
And that's very difficult in Trump world, things get very heated, and yet, they still manage to have that. So, you see them connecting on a different plane.
And, Erin, just to tell you a little bit about this trip, it is clearly so important for the vice president to be there. Keep in mind he canceled his commemorative trip to New York. But not only that, he went to a location where there is a known assassin on the loose who has not been captured, who just killed not only his friend, but a conservative -- and conservative activist. So, there's a security threat there, too. It\s not ideal for a vice president, but he wanted to be there.
BURNETT: Which is an important point to make.
And Congressman Kinzinger is with us as well as we're waiting to see what the casket brought off this plane. The family, somber moment as the country is dealing with the horrible political assassination as it appears. It clearly was.
So, Congressman, you know, I guess that the big question is here, what -- what here -- I can maybe see some movement getting off the plane there. So, we'll keep an eye on that. Meena Duerson is there on the ground, so shell jump in if she needs to.
But, Congressman, you know what happens now, right? Theres a brief of moment of healing for the country. And then there's the "what happens next?"
KINZINGER: Yeah. I mean, look, it's up to -- it's up to us, you know, to Americans, it's up to leaders. It's up to people that are involved politically. You know. Do we -- do we want this to spiral further because it's really easy to let it spiral further, you know, somebody gets retribution, somebody gets retribution on that retribution.
Or do we want to actually leave our kids and our grandkids a country better than the one we found? You know, every generation of Americans has done that. I think mostly left their kids a better country.
And now we're like the first generation that actually is at threat of not doing that. And a legacy of violence, a legacy -- democracy itself is invented to prevent violence. It's a way to dispel, you know, different viewpoints into action. And so, it's important that we stand up and fight this, fight for democracy, for truth, and for doing it peacefully.
BURNETT: And, Sunlen, as your report on Erika, Charlie Kirk's wife, she was -- she was front and center. She was out there herself. And now, of course, grieving with two young children. But there are many, I'm sure, in the conservative movement who will look to her to see what she will choose to do.
SERFATY: That's right, Erin, and it will be interesting to see what role she takes. She certainly has said herself that she considers herself to be more conservative than her husband. Certainly, this moment likely her mind is not on what comes next.
She is a grieving mother, a grieving spouse, and she was someone who was with her kids. We know at yesterday's event where her husband was killed, she is someone that puts faith very front and center. So, of course, she likely will be leaning on that through this time.
BURNETT: Yes. Thanks very much to all of you, of course, as we are watching this somber moment of Charlie Kirk's remains arriving back at his home.
Let's hand it off now to "AC360".
