Stuart Kaplan, a former FBI agent, recently stated that he believed Charlie Kirk's assassination was a "professional hit." Kirk, a right-wing activist, was fatally shot during an event at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, just seconds after responding to a question about mass shootings in the United States. According to The Guardian, the event, attended by nearly 3000 people, was organized as part of Kirk's American Comeback Tour.On September 10, Fox News invited former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan to share his views about the shooting. Kaplan stated that he believed the shooting was a "very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot," adding:“This was a very well-planned, very well-orchestrated plot that was put in motion days before. This individual had a plan of escape, to elude the detection of being out up on a rooftop and also being able to evade and elude law enforcement after that shot was taken."The former FBI agent compared the shooting to President Donald Trump's attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024, which Kaplan called an "amateur scenario." He added that Kirk's assassination was "indicative of a professional hit.""This assassination of Charlie Kirk to me is indicative of a professional hit, and I'm not so sure we are going to quickly be able to apprehend this individual without some luck, hopefully."When asked if the shooting could have been carried out by anyone with "basic training," Kaplan said he believed the attack bore the "earmark of a professional." He claimed the suspect had to have been "perched in a position" to aim directly at Kirk because of his proximity to others and the tent over him. Furthermore, Kaplan suspected the assassination was premeditated rather than spontaneous. He alleged the shooter might have been on the rooftop "well in advance" to avoid detection when spectators arrived at the event, and was able to "quietly and systematically elude at detection" after shooting Kirk.A manhunt is underway for Charlie Kirk's shooterAccording to the BBC, a manhunt is currently underway to find and arrest the shooter responsible for Charlie Kirk's murder. After his murder, two people were detained on suspicion of being involved in the shooting. However, they were released hours later, with authorities stating the individuals had "no current ties" to the incident.FBI Director Kash Patel @FBIDirectorKashLINKThe subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparencyThe FBI and the Utah Department of Public Safety are reportedly working in tandem to search for the shooter. The Department of Public Safety called the shooting a "targeted attack" and stated that the suspect was believed to have fired at Charlie Kirk from a rooftop. Meanwhile, Donald Trump addressed Charlie Kirk's fatal shooting through an official video statement from the Oval Office, blaming the "radical left" for the murder. According to AP News, he added that the "rhetoric" of comparing "wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis" was "directly responsible for the terrorism," saying:"For years, those on the radical left have compared wonderful Americans like Charlie to Nazis and the world's worst mass murderers and criminals. This kind of rhetoric is directly responsible for the terrorism that we're seeing in our country today, and it must stop right now."Furthermore, Trump vowed to find "each and every one" who played a part in Charlie Kirk's murder."My administration will find each and every one of those who contributed to this atrocity and to other political violence, including the organizations that fund it and support it, as well as those who go after our judges, law enforcement officials, and everyone else who brings order to our country," Trump said.President Donald J. Trump and Charlie Kirk in 2018 (Image via Getty Images)Charlie Kirk was a prominent conservative activist who supported Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election. At 18, he co-founded Turning Point USA, an organization that actively worked to spread conservative ideas in educational institutions. He was 31 when he passed away and is survived by his wife, Erika, and their two children.