The unidentified assassin who gunned down podcaster and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk could be a professional sniper with law enforcement or military training, a veteran Marine Corps scout-sniper, Sergeant Ronny Blackburn, told Real Raw News.
The death of Charlie Kirk, survived by his wife, Erica, and two young children, and a video showing a waterfall of blood gushing through a hole in his neck, shocked the nation yesterday afternoon. Kirk was speaking to 3,000 students at Utah Valley University when his life was tragically shortened. A chaotic scene ensued—students dashing off or ducking for cover as Kirk’s private security and local law enforcement assessed the scene and treated Kirk, who was rapidly brought to a nearby hospital. At around 4:00 p.m. EST, President Trump confirmed the worst: Kirk had succumbed to his wounds. Meanwhile, the FBI detained but later cleared and released two “persons of interest.” As of this writing, the murderer remains uncaught.
Sgt Blackburn, who viewed the ghastly video, called the wound to Kirk’s neck “un-survivable.”
“The second I saw it, the volume of blood loss, I knew he wouldn’t make it. The bullet seems to pierce his carotid artery, a kill shot. Snipers are trained to shoot center mass, better chance of putting a round on target, even for a skilled shooter, but Kirk’s killer had confidence to take a neck shot. That tells me one of two things: He was aiming for the head or chest, missed and got the neck, or he, and I’m assuming a he, had a lot of practice,” Sgt. Blackburn said.
Asked what type of weapon the killer used, he added, “Impossible to tell until the FBI publishes a ballistic report. Could be an AR-style or a hunting rifle with a scope. No way it was iron sights. You don’t make a 200-yard shot with iron sights and hope to hit the mark. The killer fired only once. He had confidence one shot equals one kill.”
We also asked Sgt. Blackburn to review a second video that shows a dark hump, presumably the killer, perched atop a university building roof several hundred feet from where Kirk was addressing the audience.
“It’s a perfect vantage point. Can’t really tell if it’s someone dressed in black or silhouetted against the sun. What I see, and I did see the other clip with a guy sprinting across the same room, is a methodical killer who planned this out in advance. He picked his spot, chose an escape route, fired once and bolted—hallmarks of not just a proficient shooter but a tactical mind. Could it be just some random lunatic? Theoretically, sure. But I see a trained killer. His biggest error was standing up and running on the rooftop, if that’s him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie’s murderer turned out to be someone with law enforcement or military experience. That’s my hunch. I pray he’s caught soon and gets what he deserves,” Sgt. Blackburn said.
To honor Kirk’s memory and his unique ability to galvanize young, conservative voters, President Trump has ordered flags to be flown at half-mast through Sunday.