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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Manhunt For Shooter Who Murdered Charlie Kirk; Officials: At Least Two Students Injured In Shooting; Polish President Speaks With Trump After Russian Drone Incursion. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired September 11, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

REP. MIKE KENNEDY (R-UT): And I'll just say Turning Point USA, represented by Charlie Kirk as an individual -- this may be a turning point. I feel like it should be a turning point Brian for our people that today we make a commitment to ourselves to all of those people that we represent that we will stand forward and do the work that we should do and do it in a civil and vigorous fashion but not in a violent fashion.

BRIAN ABEL, CNN ANCHOR: Congressman Mike Kennedy from Utah. Thank you for your time, sir.

KENNEDY: Thank you, Brian, for having me on.

ABEL: Well, as the manhunt continues how will authorities go about finding the shooter who killed Charlie Kirk? CNN's chief law enforcement analyst explains the next steps. That's just ahead. Plus, witnesses described the moment they heard the lethal shot and realized Charlie Cook was on the receiving end.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:33:25]

ABEL: The manhunt is still underway for the shooter who killed prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk in what police say was a targeted attack at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday. The state's governor says only one person is believed to have been involved in the shooting. Utah authorities believe the shooter fired once from the roof of a building as Kirk was hosting an event with an audience on campus.

In the wake of the attack there has been widespread condemnation against political violence from Democrats and Republicans alike. The shooting comes after a string of instances of political violence in the U.S. in recent months targeting politicians on both sides of the aisle.

Two witnesses who went to the event hosted by Kirk on Wednesday described the security situation to CNN's Anderson Cooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) AMY KING, WITNESS: Literally two minutes before I looked around and I had scanned with my phone and there was no security. We were able to walk right in. I had a ticket. Nobody checked my ticket. We were able to go through the door and go through some students and go all the way down to the front row.

JEREMY KING, WITNESS: No. I will say, Anderson, I looked over and I watched his security the whole time scanning the crowd. I know that the guys around him were doing their job.

A. KING: Yeah.

J. KING: But at this --

A. KING: He had a lot of security.

J. KING: It feels like other than this immediate security it was wide open for anyone to go to that event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: As a manhunt for the shooter continues CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller explains what the next steps would be for authorities working on this case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: They have to step back and they have to really start from square one, which is expand the video canvas that they're doing on campus to see not only can they pick up the gunman fleeing the scene -- that person dressed in dark clothes seen running across that roof -- but can they go backwards and see if they can find in earlier videos maybe that person's arrival and maybe attach them to a car.

Not only does the university have video cameras in different places around the university but the parking system there works with license plate readers that record when the cars come in and go out. If the person came in a vehicle that would mean -- that parking lot is right behind the -- is right behind the fence that you would have had to climb over to get onto that roof to walk to that perch where that shot, they believe was fired from. The car presents an opportunity.

And what they didn't find at the scene was the weapon. So by not leaving that rifle behind that's one thing that they can't match to the bullet if they recover that bullet. But by taking it with the suspect that may mean if they find the right person and they do the right searches and they're able to obtain that weapon, they can match that to the bullet which is going to be major evidence against somebody in custody.

But the point is that's a lot of process that they're going to have to go through while getting the videos from the public, relying on tips from the public, and looking at the threat picture around Charlie Kirk to see was there anybody who was popping up in that threat picture that needs to be looked at. (END VIDEOTAPE)

ABEL: From a young man who dropped out of college to a star of the U.S. conservative movement. Still ahead how Charlie Kirk made conservatism cool for many younger voters. Plus, eyewitnesses describe the moment Kirk was shot and the panic that ensued.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:43:27]

ABEL: Welcome back. I'm Brian Abel. Here are some stories we are watching today.

A manhunt is underway after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. It happened Wednesday while Kirk was speaking at a university in Utah. Officials believe only one person was involved. Authorities are combing through surveillance camera footage and asking witnesses to share any photos or videos they may have of the shooting.

Qatar's prime minister says he feels betrayed after the Israeli strike on Hamas in Doha. During an exclusive interview with CNN he called Tuesday's attack a "barbaric action" that killed any hope of saving the hostages and he called for a collective response from the region to push back against Israel.

Poland says the U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency session to hear allegations that Russian drones entered its airspace during an attack on Ukraine. The alleged violation led to NATO scrambling fighter jets to shoot down the drones. European and NATO leaders condemned the violation of Poland's airspace, a NATO member.

And returning to our top story, the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in the United States. CNN is getting firsthand accounts of what played out just before and after the shooting. One witness said it all started as a normal event day on campus as thousands of students gathered to see and hear Kirk. Then the fatal shot rang out.

[05:45:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAYDON DECHENE, SHOOTING WITNESS: All of a sudden, I heard just one pop and saw Charlie all of a sudden, like, fall -- his head kind of fell back and blood was just gushing out of his neck. And then at that point I kind of turned my head to look uphill because it felt like it came from up behind me, and then I saw everybody dropping so I dropped down. And the next thing you know they said run, so we all took off running.

DALLIN SMITH, SHOOTING WITNESS: We heard two pops, and we ran. And some -- a lot of people ran with us. When I was standing by the door kind of overseeing what was happening some people were standing there still taking videos. So I went back out to look over the railing to see, like, maybe someone just did some firecrackers or something like that.

But more and more people were screaming, crying, dispersing super quickly from the scene. More and more people were headed Charlie's way. I mean, just craziness. And then after getting back in the building, just tons of people flooding to go outside and get away from the scene.

EVA TERRY, REPORTER, DESERET NEWS: Charlie hit the ground. We saw him fall. But it looks like the shot came and it hit because he was facing us, and it looked like it hit the left side of his neck.

EMMA PITTS, STAFF WRITER, DESERET NEWS: To be perfectly frank, like, so much blood came out of his neck immediately. And then we all took to the ground. I can't tell you almost what happened immediately after.

PHIL LYMAN, FORMER UTAH STATE HOUSE REPUBLICAN: There was a handicapped person there that wanted a hat and so I was trying to get Charlie's attention. He saw me and he came right over and handed us a hat, and it was really very kind. I'm just sitting there watching thinking wow, this is -- he's taller than I thought he was and he's -- and he's so energetic and he's so happy throwing these hats out and the crowd is just going nuts -- you know, a huge college crowd.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma says all politicians, as well as the media, share responsibility for the rise in political violence. Here's what he told CNN earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN (R-OK): This hurts because it was so senseless. It was just because someone disagreed with him politically. We all hold a responsibility to this -- Republicans, Democrats, news outlets to the left and to the right. We in this country have faced some very difficult times and every time we've been at our worst, we've been able to hit a reset button and recover. And I hope, be it the rhetoric on the right and the left, that we can reset out of this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: New video shows the frantic and chaotic moments following the shooting of Kirk. And a warning the video may be disturbing to some viewers. We're doing to show it to you here.

One witness who was attending Kirk's event in Utah captured this video. People seen running and scrambling to flee the scene of the shooting. A witness tells CNN he and his wife just happened to be running out this direction when they saw Kirk's security team carrying him to an SUV after the shooting.

Charlie Kirk is being remembered by the those who knew him. Joe Walsh, for example, a former U.S. House Republican -- he spoke to CNN's Jake Tapper about his memories of Kirk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE WALSH, FORMER U.S. HOUSE REPUBLICAN, HOST, THE SOCIAL CONTRACT: I met him when he was 16 years old. I went off to Congress and I became a father to him. I became a political mentor to him. I helped him launch start TP USA.

He was a lovable political nerd. He was a geek. He would rather spend, you know, his weekend nights talking about various House districts instead of going out on dates. It was his life. He didn't go to college.

He and I were extremely close and then Trump happened, and we went our separate ways politically. And Jake, he and I would fight repeatedly on social media, but it was just that. And even though we did that even right up until today, he still felt like a son to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: And in many ways, Kirk rewrote the rulebook for how the conservative movement in the U.S. can reach young voters.

As Brian Todd reports, Kirk started his political work when he was still a teenager.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHARLIE KIRK, CO-FOUNDED CONSERVATIVE ORGANIZATION TURNING POINT USA: That's a lot of people, Utah, I'll tell you what.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voiceover): Even in a MAGA ecosystem of fast-moving, sharp talking media stars, Charlie Kirk stood out.

KIRK: We need more people in jail. We do not have enough people in prison in America.

TODD (voiceover): The 31-year-old father of two rose to fame at a young age, just 18 when he co-founded the group Turning Point USA, which builds support for conservative politics at high schools and colleges.

KIRK: And as I travel the country and I'm doing this on college campuses, I can feel a surge.

Please take a seat --

TODD (voiceover): Turning Point USA now has chapters on more than 800 campuses. And on the eve of his second inauguration, President Trump credited Kirk with mobilizing the youth vote.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And a man who has got an army of young people. Charlie Kirk is here, and I want to thank Charlie. Charlie is fantastic. I mean, this guy -- don't believe the stuff when you hear the kids are liberal. They're not liberal. Maybe they used to be but they're not anymore.

TODD (voiceover): A college dropout born in the suburbs of Chicago, Kirk became a millionaire from the books he wrote, speaking engagements, and his popular podcast "The Charlie Kirk Show." On all media platforms he was a strong voice for conservative causes, including the Second Amendment.

[05:50:10]

KIRK: You don't need all these gun laws if you -- you know, you don't -- it's OK if everybody owns guns if you don't have a bunch of third- worlders coming into your nation that don't abide them and then commit a lot of crimes.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN MEDIA CORRESPONDENT AND ANALYST: He is one of the most prominent -- I would say the most successful MAGA media personality of his generation. He's a little bit like a new era Rush Limbaugh, you know, of the digital age. But unlike someone like Rush, who hosted a radio show at his home, Kirk is out and about. He's known for doing these public events.

TODD (voiceover): Analysts say Kirk's propensity for being able to take on anyone in a political argument at the drop of a hat propelled him in MAGA circles.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF AND POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Charlie Kirk could debate endlessly. He mastered his brief. Again, obviously not everyone agreed with him -- a conservative media star here -- but he would debate for hours on end with people in the belief of his argument.

TODD (voiceover): As a result, Kirk had the ear of almost everyone in the White House from President Trump on down. When he broke with the administration twice this year over the bombing of Iran and the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, the stir in MAGA world was palpable. He later backed down from his call for more transparency in the Epstein case.

KIRK: I'm going to trust my friends in the administration. I'm going to trust my friends in the government to do what needs to be done and solve it. The ball is in their hands.

TODD (voiceover): In October of last year Kirk reflected on Trump's defiant gestures right after Trump was shot in an assassination attempt that summer in Pennsylvania.

KIRK: They say well, is this someone that you want your kids to grow up and to look up to. I say yes, I'm going to tell my son that in the line of fire that if you ever think as if things could ever get dark and you rise and you say fight, fight, fight -- I want my son to be like that one day.

TODD: And true to form Charlie Kirk was engaging with an audience in that last appearance in Utah, answering questions from the audience about mass shooters in the U.S. just moments before he was shot.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) ABEL: We are also following news out of Colorado after a high school shooting in the Denver area on Wednesday. At least two students were injured after a gunman opened fire at Evergreen High School. Officials say the suspect was a male student at the school. He was taken to the hospital with a self-inflicted gunshot wound but has since died. The tragedy -- it marks the 47th school shooting in the U.S. this year alone.

Still ahead, an attack seen as a significant provocation for Europe and NATO. More than a dozen Russian drones violating the airspace of Poland, a NATO member. Reactions from the West next.

(COMMERCIAL)

[05:57:07]

ABEL: Just in to CNN, Britain has withdrawn Peter Mandelson as its ambassador to the United States over his relationship with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. That's according to the U.K.'s foreign office minister. We are working to get more details, and we will bring you any new developments as they come in.

Also, Poland's president says he spoke on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump and confirmed the NATO allies are united following a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace. The incident is seen as a significant provocation for Europe and NATO amid Moscow's war in Ukraine.

The EU's foreign policy chief called the incident the most serious European airspace violation by Russia since the war began. Ukraine's president described it as another step of escalation by Russia. Germany's chancellor said the incident poses a very serious threat to peace across Europe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FRIEDRICH MERZ, GERMAN CHANCELLOR (through translator): I just had a long phone call with the Polish prime minister. He gave me detailed information about last night's attacks. I share his assessment that this is a very serious threat to peace throughout Europe. These are a new type of attack that we are seeing from Russia. I share his assessment that the Russian government's claim that this was, so to speak, a coincidence or an accident is not credible.

This complete reckless line of action by the Russian government is part of a long series of provocations that we have been seeing for months in the Baltic region and on NATO's eastern flank as a whole. The German government condemns this aggressive behavior by Russia in the strongest possible terms.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ABEL: Meanwhile, Israel's strike on Hamas in Doha has left the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release talks in limbo. Qatar's prime minister is accusing Israel of killing any hope for the hostages and says the Israeli Prime Minister has been "wasting our time with meaningless talks." A senior Hamas official confirmed no one is talking about a ceasefire right now.

Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu says countries that "harbor terrorists must expel them or bring them to justice because if you don't, we will."

Qatar has confirmed the identity of one of the five Hamas members killed in the attack. He was the director of the office of Hamas' chief negotiator.

In Nepal, the army has taken control of streets in the capital of Kathmandu after two days of anti-government protests that killed at least 30 people and left several government buildings smoldering. It is the worst unrest the country has experienced in decades. Nepal's prime minister and several cabinet members resigned in the face of the massive protests.

The Gen Z-led demonstrations erupted after the government banned dozens of social media platforms with protesters also demanding an end to corruption.

[06:00:00]

And today marks the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States. Memorial services are planned in New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon in the morning before traveling up to New York to attend a Yankees baseball game. The vice president is set in New York. There will also be readings of names of the victims along with moments of silence and a tribute to those who are sick or have died as a result of illnesses related to 9/11.

Thank you for joining us here on EARLY START. I'm Brian Abel in Washington, D.C. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.