By Steve Neavling
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing his first major test after falsely announcing that a suspect was in custody for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a close ally of Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
Patel posted on social media Wednesday that the shooter in Orem, Utah, had been caught, only to be contradicted by local officials. Hours later, the FBI clarified that two people had been questioned and released.
“At the outset of an investigation, much of the initial intelligence is typically wrong or slightly off. That’s why what he did yesterday has never been done by any FBI director before him, or any division leadership before,” said retired FBI agent Dan Brunner. “The investigators need to sort through all the initial intelligence before putting out factual evidence … FBI does not run investigations on social media.”
A White House source, speaking on condition of anonymity, called Patel’s performance “really not acceptable to the White House or the American public.” Former Homeland Security official John Cohen said Patel’s announcement “is unorthodox and could be confusing in that details change quickly.”
The White House, however, defended Patel.
“This is a despicable story from anonymous sources clearly trying to sow distrust amongst the President’s team during a time of utmost unity,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. “Kash Patel is leading the manhunt to catch the killer of our friend, and everyone is supporting him and trying to be as helpful as possible during this effort, including the President of the United States.”
Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah college in front of 3,000 people, the latest case of political violence this year. FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls, who is leading the investigation, said Thursday that agents recovered the rifle used in the shooting but had not captured a suspect.
