US Army Sgt. Nicholas Ranstad said the unidentified gunman, who remains at large Thursday morning, was most likely self-taught and didn’t have any military firearm training.
“They’re probably just an internet shooter, not a sniper or trained soldier,” Ranstad said.
He went on to describe the scene where the 31-year-old father of two was killed.
“The security was super light, no crime at that school. So I guess the threat was low, apparently,” Ranstad told the Daily Mail. “That’s a buffet for someone who wanted to kill someone.”
Ranstad, who holds the record for longest American kill in Afghanistan, described the open-air area where Kirk was set up as a “fishbowl” amid high ground and multi-level buildings.
“Money for shooters. Shooting down is easy,” he said.
University officials believe the gunman was perched on top of the Losee Center Building, across from where Kirk was seated under a pop-up tent in the packed UVU Fountain Courtyard. The event was billed as free and first-come, first-served.
Ranstad estimated the single fatal shot that rang out across campus was fired from over 200 yards away, and the lax security created a perfect condition for the shooter to get in without being noticed.
“When you have events like that, you look at the security, if you push 250, 300 yards, it’s an easy shot,” he said.
“Not to mention out in the open, wind is low out in the country. It’s not like in the city where a bullet flying past the buildings will move more,” Ranstad added.
UVU Police Chief Jeff Long said the department had six officers working Kirk’s event alongside the activist’s security team and estimated that more than 3,000 people were in attendance.
“We had some plainclothed police officers that were in the crowd as well. We train for these things. You think you have things covered and these things unfortunately happen,” Long told reporters. “You try to get your bases covered and unfortunately, today we didn’t and because of that, we have this tragic incident.”
Stay up to date on the shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk
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Ranstad believes the gunman used a high-powered rifle during Wednesday’s shooting.
“I don’t think it was an AR, the crack had too much base in it, not a crack like an AR,” he said, claiming it was either from a .308 bolt action or a 7.62 x 39mm.
He called on investigators to check local gun ranges for any unusual activities in the weeks leading up to Kirk’s murder.
“Any bloke can go to the range three or four times and make that shot. I would start looking at range time if I was police,” he told the outlet. “They should get all the videos, who’s got what rifle and who isn’t properly trained so don’t know how to control their blood pressure and adrenaline.
Kirk was answering a question on mass shootings when he was shot in the neck during the bloody scene.
Thousands of people who gathered in the center of campus to attend Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” began screaming and running for safety.
The conservative activist was rushed to a car by his security team and driven off. He was pronounced dead a short time later.
The gunman had meticulously planned out the shooting along with his escape to avoid capture, according to Ranstad.
“He probably had an exfil plan. Normally it’s crazy people who shoot 30 rounds. This was one shot, that was it,” he said.
“In my opinion, they had a plan. If you think about it, one shot, he’s not caught … when I saw the old dude, I knew it wasn’t him,” Ranstad said, referring to an older man who was recorded being “detained” by police moments after the shooting.
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“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,” President Trump said. “No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
Later in the day, Trump remembered Kirk, whom he called a “martyr for truth and freedom” in a video address on Wednesday night.
“To my great fellow Americans, I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah,” Trump said in a four-minute video posted on Truth Social.
“Charlie inspired millions. And tonight, all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror,” continued the president, seated behind the Resolute Desk.
“This is a dark moment for America,” Trump said.
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