Was Charlie Kirk shooter seen running outside campus? Viral video debunked

In the tumultuous aftermath of the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, misinformation is rampant on social media. One of the more widely circulated posts claims that there is a viral video of "Charlie Kirk's real shooter escaping." However, an investigation into the video finds that it has no connection to the assassination at Utah Valley University.

The video surfaced on X on September 11, 2025, with a description stating it shows the shooter leaving. It shows a person in dark clothing running near a building with the oversized flowers and black and white stairs. All of these visual details are important to help verify the location of the clip.

The geolocation of these attributes matches the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada, which is hundreds of miles away from the Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was murdered.

Charles Kirk's shooter is seen running on the street after the assassination. pic.twitter.com/AkW5TrVC3k

— Vikrant (@Vikspeaks1) September 11, 2025

The same video was also published by KRNV News 4, a local news station, on July 29, 2025, more than a month before the Charlie Kirk shooting. That story identifies the video as showing a suspect fleeing a mass shooting incident at the Reno casino, where multiple people were killed and injured. The Sparks Police Department had already identified that person as their suspect.

Amid Charlie Kirk shooting manhunt, officials warn against misinformation

The debunking effort is happening against the backdrop of an ongoing official investigation into the killing of Charlie Kirk. The FBI and Utah Department of Public Safety held press conferences attesting to some important facts regarding their suspect, who remains at large.

According to the BBC, authorities say that whoever killed Kirk is of "college age," used a high-powered bolt-action rifle, and made a clean getaway by jumping from a roof and fleeing into a nearby community.

They are also allegedly in possession of a "good video" and stills of their actual suspect, but are withholding from releasing them publicly for fear of harming their investigation.

UPDATE: The person of interest in the assassination of Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk has been released after questioning, according to the FBI.https://t.co/4pvdetaGl3

— FOX 5 San Diego (@fox5sandiego) September 11, 2025

The speed at which the Reno video circulated is illustrative of a troubling trend of misinformation taking advantage of high-profile tragedies. Misinformation, like the misleading claims, does have immediate consequences and can distract the public’s attention, waste precious law enforcement resources, and send folks into a needless panic.

The example of Charlie Kirk serves as a painful reminder that there is still a critical need for media literacy when it comes to breaking news events.

As law enforcement officials and reporters are trying to disperse messages about developing the legitimate manhunt for the Charlie Kirk shooting suspect, they asked for patience, caution, corroboration, and to read only the official updates by the investigating authorities to minimize repeating false and harmful narratives.