
In this episode of Nightly Scroll: The world reacts to Charlie Kirk’s assassination while the suspect still remains at large. Inside the investigation, security failures and the safety measures we must take with former Secret Service agent Scott Bryson.
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Narrator
Mike and Alyssa are always trying to outdo each other. When Alyssa got a small water bottle, Mike showed up with a 4 liter jug. When Mike started gardening, Alyssa started beekeeping.
Haley Carania
Oh, come on.
Narrator
They called a truce for their holiday and used Expedia trip planner to collaborate on all the details of their trip. Once there, Mike still did more laps around the pool.
Scott Bryson
Whatever.
Narrator
You were made to outdo your holidays. We were made to help organize the competition. Expedia made to travel.
Haley Carania
Welcome to Nightly Scroll. I'm Haley Carania. It is a somber day in America. Of course we remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. We also remember the life of Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated yesterday. Here is what we know now. According to the FBI press conference earlier this morning, Bo Mason, Commissioner of the Utah Department of Public Safety, spoke as well. They alerted the public that the assassin is still at large. He arrived on Utah Valley University's campus at 11:52am yesterday. The FBI has been tracking his movements. He used stairwells to get onto the roof where he fired the shot that ultimately killed Charlie Kirk using a.30 06 rifle. And the FBI has released a photo of the person of interest and they are asking for any and all information that the public can provide. So if we can put this up here. You know, originally they said that the man looked like he was of college age. It he. I would say he looks a little older than that. It's sure he could be college age. But I think we're looking at anyone. And this is me speaking. This is not the FBI speaking and I'm not law enforcement. But he looks like he could be in his 40s, even as well. But he's a. Looks tall, he's a white man. And of course, this is just a person of interest. They don't even know if this is the guy. Right. So they are asking for any and all information that the public can provide. And no tip is too small. The FBI has reiterated that they've received hundreds of tips, photos, videos. They are all helpful. They are also offering a reward of $100,000 for information that leads to the arrest of the individual or individuals who are responsible. So again, not ruling out that this was a lone gunman there. This could have been a, a coordinated attack. And I certainly think that whether it was a lone gunman or a group, this was certainly a coordinated, planned attack. According to the FBI press conference, the shooter used a high powered bolt action rifle. Steven Crowder broke the news earlier today. That has since been confirmed by multiple outlets that the bullets were engraved with pro trans and antifascist political messaging. Scott Bryson, Silverlock contributor and former Secret Service agent, will be joining me in just a few minutes to break down what we know, what the investigation looks like, what they're looking for, what security measures need to be taken in the future to to preserve the movement that Charlie Kirk started. And the Trump administration is standing firm with the Kirk family. Vice President J.D. vance and second lady second lady Usha Vance flew to Utah today to retrieve Kirk's body and casket. They will be flown to Air Force One. On Air Force One back to Arizona. President Trump today honoring the man behind this movement and made this announcement. Watch.
Donald Trump
Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk have felt. Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife Eric and his beautiful children. Fantastic people they are. We miss him greatly. Yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on. I'm pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk, posthumously, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing, that we will have a very big crowd. Very, very big.
Haley Carania
People in the chat are pointing out that I might have said Air Force One by accident. Air Force Two, of course, this is the Vice President Vance, so if I misspoke there, I apologize. But President Trump announcing that he will be awarding Charlie Kirk a posthumous Medal of Freedom, well deserved. Charlie Kirk was an example to all of us, regardless of political affiliation, to stand up for what you believe in and do so respectfully disagree, but know that the person you're debating was made in God's image. The left, or whatever entity was behind this savage killing seems to think that by attempting to kill President Trump and by assassinating Charlie Kirk, that the political right will just admit that guns are the problem. We'll just give our firearms away. They think that we will abandon our strongly held beliefs about defending our constitutional rights. They don't understand the right at all. If anything, this has done the exact opposite. Charlie Kirk may not be here anymore, but his legacy will live on forever. His work will continue. It may be behind a bulletproof glass, but it will not be stopped. I want to bring up a post that gave me some hope in this time, this really very dark time. But last week on the show we were covering Graham Lineham. I hope I'M pronouncing his name right, but he's an Irish comedian. He was the one that was arrested by five armed police officers at Heathrow Airport in London for making anti trans. That's what they're saying posts on X. This is, this is a turning point. I know we keep saying that because Charlie Kirk kind of coined that term and built a movement off of it, but this is a turning point. We have to stand up for our liberties, we have to stand up for the First Amendment, the Second Amendment, all of our constitutional rights, they are under attack, not just here, but worldwide. So let us be the example that we cannot just lie down and let it happen. But Graham Lyneham posted this. If we could pull up his X post. He said they just created a million Charlie Kirks. Doesn't that give you hope in this moment? Because that gave me hope. Because it's true. Charlie Kirk started and fostered a movement, a strong one at that. And now a fire has just been lit underneath it. Young people are literally on fire for God thanks to Charlie. He was such an incredible example for young men and women. He spoke openly about his faith, he defended his face faith, fiercely wanted to be remembered for his faith. His faith was so strong that has inspired people since his death to seek God. So I wanted to share some of these posts that I saw. This first person on X posted that they. I've never been a religious person because I don't know if God is real. But I'm becoming more religious every day because I know that evil is real and I want to be on the other side of it. In response to the horrific attack yesterday. Now another person saying that they don't normally pray. This person, Sasha Stone on X. It's funny, I don't pray, but I am praying, joining all of you to pray. I don't even know how and you don't need to know how. But the fact that people are coming to the table, they have never prayed before, not religious and they're. They're seeing the evil take place in this world and they're thinking, well, I've got to do something and what I'm doing now is not enough. And it's a true testament to Charlie Kirk. Here's another video if we could play this woman on TikTok. It says, I'm not even kidding today has made me genuinely want to go to church, pray before bed and be unafraid to vocalize my political thoughts and opinions. And I went through the comments on that video and this woman was not alone. I just wanted to share some of this. I posted this on my Instagram story, so if you want to go there and read that later, you can. But someone said, I've never been a godly person. In fact, I never really believed in a higher power after today. I just purchased my first Bible. Someone else in that same comment section said I haven't been to church in years, but going back on Sunday, someone else said been a lukewarm Christian for way too long and didn't pay attention to politics. That stopped last night. And someone else said let this be the turning point as he wanted. And I agree with that last sentiment. Let this be the turning point that Charlie Kirk fought so hard for. Meanwhile, the mainstream media has a lot to learn. The reaction to this has made me so sick. Truly. I knew that they were bad, I knew that I hated the media, but this really solidified that fact for me that they are demonic. CNN posted this was in reference to the news that Steven Crowder broke and also was then confirmed by many people in the mainstream media as well. But the fact that there were political messages, anti fascist political messages, these antifa type messages, pro trans messages. CNN wrote this rifle and ammo scrawled with cultural phrases after found after Kirk killing. Cultural phrases. They're taking a step back from this. They want to remove themselves from this and they're removing themselves from the truth. Remember that there's the truth that was reported and then there's what CNN is reporting it as and they're taking a step back now. I covered this yesterday on the show, but MSNBC had such a shit show coverage, live coverage of the shooting. And this was partly before Charlie Kirk was found dead or pronounced dead rather. So before and after their breaking news coverage from start to finish was a disaster. It was a disgusting disaster. I played the videos yesterday on the show, so I'm not going to replay them. I'm sure you've all seen them. But Katie Turk saying that President Trump is surely going to use this for something. What happens next? Them saying they're very afraid of of us and what we're going to do next. Then Matthew Dowd, a former now MSNBC contributor, saying that, well, Charlie Kirk deserved this because he said some inflammatory things. So if you say some inflammatory things and you should just expect to die totally insane. He also on this same broadcast was saying that maybe the shot was fired by. It was a celebratory shot by a supporter. So the whole thing deserves to be. Everyone involved deserves to be fired. But here is what MSNBC Public relations posted on X Statement from MSNBC President Rebecca Cutler. During our breaking news coverage of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, Matthew Dowd made comments that were inappropriate, insensitive and unacceptable. We apologize for his statements, as has he. There is no place for political violence in America, political or otherwise. Firing the contributor who said that is not enough, in my opinion. Because if you've never worked in the news media, if you've never worked at a corporation, let me take you behind the curtain. Everything is a top down decision. There are people at the top and I guarantee you, everyone at the top, they are watching these broadcasts from start to finish. They have multiple TVs on in their offices, sometimes with the sound off, sometimes with the sound on. But they are watching, they are reading the banners, they know who the guests are. They are very much involved in everything that happens on the broadcast. Not only that, there are executive producers, senior producers, other top level producers, people who know better or should have known better, and they didn't. This is the kind of thing that was a collective problem that can't just be blamed. You can't just blame Matthew Dowd for saying stupid shit. And you can't just say, oh, I'm sorry that he said that, I'm sorry that we booked him. No, because Katie Tur was the anchor sitting across the desk from him and she, or not across the desk, but you know what I'm saying, on the same program, she did not stop it. Katie Tur did not have it within her to know that what he was saying was disgusting. She did not stop it. So she didn't know. She didn't know better. That's even being kind saying that she didn't know better. I think this was gross incompetence. So Katie Tur needs to be fired. In my opinion, every producer in that control room can get into Katie Tur's ear and say, put a stop to this. That's the executive producer's job or the senior producer's job. And it's any other lower level producer in that room can look to those people who are supposed to be in charge, these decision makers, and say, we have to do something about this. Everyone could have stepped up. They didn't. And maybe, maybe there, maybe there were, maybe people in that room were in Katie T's ear saying, put a stop to this and she didn't. Maybe, but MSNBC needs to do more than just put out a statement and they need to do more than just fire Matthew Dowd. They need you to do an investigation as to whether or not the, the pool is poisoned at MSNBC because this was not just one person's failure. This was a large failure. Absolutely horrible. And this is all coming, by the way, as MSNBC wants to rebrand as Ms. Now. How about ms? Never again. Never again. And it's not just them, by the way. Tmz, this is one of the worst things I have ever seen. And it just goes to show that even though Harvey Levin was a professional in this breaking news moment, the people, the younger generations that were, were working in that same newsroom, they have a lot to learn and they are rotten to their core because TMZ was doing their live broadcast. Harvey Levin read President Trump's truth social post that Charlie Kirk has died yesterday. And people in the background were laughing.
Harvey Levin
Watch this if he's still on the loose because they want to find him. So I would think that that's one of the main reasons they're holding this news conference. So my guess is we're going to see an image of this guy possibly in the next 20 minutes. The news conference is scheduled for 3:00' clock in Utah time, which is 2, 2:00' clock Pacific.
Haley Carania
Do you hear that?
Harvey Levin
5:00' clock Eastern. Janet, go.
Haley Carania
They're cheering.
Donald Trump
Go. Go.
Scott Bryson
To.
Harvey Levin
Have somebody look at the Fox. Trump. Trump just posted that Charlie Kirk is dead.
Haley Carania
You saw that Harvey Levin received the news. People in the newsroom received it before him. And then they delivered that news to him. That is what the laughter was. But they made a statement. Harvey Levin put out a video explaining this away. Watch.
Harvey Levin
We were live streaming all day during this, this tragedy when something happened in our office as we were reporting the assassination of Charlie Kirk. There were some people in the back room, away from our news desk here, who were watching a car chase and they were laughing, they were clapping, and you could hear it out here. And we want to make a couple of things clear. One is that I know these people and they were not laughing. They were not reacting that way about Charlie Kirk's assassination. They were not. They would not work here if they did. And that being said, we acknowledge that it was horrible timing and for that we are sorry, we apologize.
Haley Carania
Don't you think it's interesting that they said if they did laugh, they wouldn't be working here?
Andy
Well, you, you could totally tell by Harvey's reaction in real time that he heard them laugh.
Haley Carania
Yes.
Andy
And was processing. What do I do here? And I mean, it's. That was really, really, really, really pathetic.
Haley Carania
Have you ever laughed at a police car chase video?
Andy
I can't think either way, the surroundings of the newsroom, everyone knows. They know what is happening and what he's commenting on and severity and the reverence it demands. You know what I mean? The empathy, the sorrow. And so the fact that you can't even if they were watching that know the tone and know the room. But I don't believe that for a second.
Haley Carania
There's no way. There's no way that there's. You're working in a newsroom, and this is a breaking news situation, and you're watching a video of a car chase. No, you're not. You're working on the breaking news situation. There's just. There's absolutely no way, like, to Andy's point, this is a severe situation, a severe breaking news situation. So they knew the tone of the newsroom. They knew that they were live streaming, too, and they couldn't help themselves but to cheer at the news. And do they think that we're stupid? That the exact moment that President Trump puts out a statement, the entire newsroom broke into laughter and they expect us to believe that this was just a coincidence, that they were laughing and cheering at something else? I don't buy that. No one in the comments, in the chat is buying it. Pure evil. Just demonic. Yes. They think we're stupid. They have no empathy or respect. Fire them. Shut the place down. Get rid of it. TMZ is full of bs. TMZ is garbage. Pure evil. Lies, lies, lies. We're all on the same page. I don't believe that for a second. And the fact that he had to say, if they were that evil, like, they wouldn't work here. All they could have done to save face was fire all those people on the spot, whether you were laughing at that or not. I think it's pretty easy to do an investigation and figure out what they were laughing at, because you can go on TikTok on Instagram and go to your Watch history. Show me what video was so funny. Or better yet, they did a whole public video. Show us the car chase. That was so hilarious.
Andy
That was my first thing. Show me the. Show me the car chase. Where is it? What state is it in?
Haley Carania
Yeah, and people were doing searches. It's not like it was a live car chase. People couldn't find videos of anything going viral at the moment. So maybe they had found a video of a car. I don't believe this, by the way. But maybe they had found an older video. No way. Not at the same time.
Andy
Here's the thing. Here's the thing that's obvious that everybody knows they're lying. So they put out a statement. We know they're lying. They know we know they're lying. And they don't care. And that's where, that's where it just is. It's an obligatory. It's an obligatory cover your bases. But we really know that this, this doesn't matter. We don't, we don't care. And that's what Harvey. Because this matters.
Haley Carania
I think Harvey knows how severe it is because he's a professional. He's been in the industry for decades. He knows what to do in a breaking news situation. I think in the moment he was very upset and he almost didn't want to believe that the people working for him are that evil.
Andy
His body language says that he was sort of.
Haley Carania
But I'm, I'm upset that he even covered for them because as a news professional and yes, they cover pop culture news for the most part, but they dabble in all breaking news. And as someone who is a fixture in this industry and is, and was a professional, this was not professional, in my opinion. And it's not just the media. That has been absolutely disgusting in response to this. Democrats yesterday would not stand, would not pray for Charlie Kirk. Watch this.
Scott Bryson
Let's, let's, let's. Wait a minute, Wait a minute. The House will be in order. The House will be in order. The House will be in order. We. The House will be in order. We, we will join prayer right after this. Okay?
Haley Carania
These are your elected officials. These are the people that we voted into office. And Democrats who voted in. Those Democrats are probably feeling pretty proud right now because they're disgusting. You know, that was, was that Lauren Boebert and Anna Polina Luna who wanted to do the, the prayer.
Andy
Believe Anna brought, I believe Lauren brought up the, the, the prayer. And then Anna Paina Luna was the. She came in for the louder voice sort of calling it out.
Haley Carania
But when you heard the Democrats, their visceral reaction. No. To praying for someone who's, who's actively dying. That's who the Democrat Party is. But we knew this because these are the same people that did not clap and did not stand for DJ Daniel. Remember this was at the RNC and. Or was it the RNC or the joint session of Congress?
Andy
I believe it was the State of the Union address.
Haley Carania
Yeah, the joint session. Yeah. And he's a 13 year old with brain cancer. He's a survivor. And the Democrats would not stand for him. So of course they're not going to stand for Charlie Kirk. But just remember, these are the people who routinely show us who they were. And this is nothing new. We've known that they're disgusting human beings. Also, Senator Elizabeth Warren, who and many others were asked about the rhetoric and whether or not they will tone down the rhetoric on the left. But no, she blames President Trump. Watch this.
Scott Bryson
Oh, please.
Haley Carania
Right. Why don't you start with the President of the United States? Right? And every ugly meme he has posted and every ugly word. So she's blaming President Trump. She's blaming memes and every word that he says. I don't know how this makes any sense. I don't think it's President Trump's fault that one of his close friends was killed by a crazed lunatic. I said this yesterday because I pointed out the many times that Democrats have casted Republicans out as this other subhuman, just disgusting, garbage, deplorable Hitler Nazis. They use these words to describe us. Racist, homophobic, xenophobic, transphobic. They have fostered a environment that allows for their most delusional supporters to hate us with everything in their body. Because if they believe. If leftists believe everything that their leaders in their party say about us, yeah, I'm not surprised that they hate us. But when asked about toning down the rhetoric, they point the finger at President Trump. Governor of Illinois J.B. pritzker also blamed Trump. By blaming Trump, they are skirting the blame. I would also like to point out that when political violence takes place on the other side of the aisle, we always call it out. We always do the right thing. We always call out violence and attacks on the left. My heart aches for the families of the Minnesota lawmakers who were killed and for Governor Shapiro when his family was met with violence. And this isn't political violence, but when former President Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. My heart aches for him because he's a human being with a family who loves him. There are still many of us who see the humanity in the other side. Despite our differences, we demand free speech, even for the people who hate us all, while our enemies try to strip it from us by censoring us on social media. So when people say this, oh, well, the same thing happens on the other side, too. Yes, it does. But our response is much different. And Charlie Kirk said it best. You can tell a lot about a person by how they react when someone dies. I am proud to be on the side of humanity. Unfortunately, others have been inspired by what happened yesterday. You know, I grew up on Long island and the middle school that I went to, they had a school board meeting yesterday that was cut short because they got a call saying that there was a copycat who wanted to do the same thing to Charlie Kirk, to the school board members of the school that I went to. So watch this video from that school board meeting last night.
School Board Official
Good evening, folks. We apologize for this. We have received this evening 2 back to back voicemails threatening gun violence to all of us here. The individual complained about who we all are up here on the dais and proceeded to praise the terrible actions that occurred in ut, Utah today and explained explicitly that he'd like to put us on the news as well. For everybody's safety, we are asking you to please exit the building. We are removing the public. This is a serious thing. And we've reported it to Nassau county police and to our security. And we're taking this very seriously, this type of threat.
Haley Carania
So someone in that community saw what happened to Charlie Kirk, probably saw a bunch of reaction on social media of people on the left celebrating this as a good thing. And of course, these people are just, they just follow their followers. They're not leaders. So they see that it's become cool on social media to kill people that you disagree with. And so they wanted the same thing to happen. They wanted what happened to Charlie Kirk to happen to school board members. They said, we want to see you guys on the news, too. We have to remember this horrific killing may inspire more hate, but there are way more of us than there are of them. We are the majority. We have God on our side and good will always prevail against evil. If you are watching on X or Facebook, you're going to have to come over to rumble. Rumble.com Haley to watch the rest of the show. And I have former Secret Service agent Scott Bryson on deck. We are going to bring him in in just a few moments to break down all of the details that we know and really where we go from here as a conservative movement. How do we stay safe? Because we are going to pick up the microphone, we are going to carry the torch for Charlie Kirk. So how do we do that without ending up the same way? How do we do that and stay alive so that we can keep Charlie Kirk's movement alive? So we are going to get into that in just a few moments. Like I said, if you're watching on X or Facebook, please join me on Rumble for the rest of the show. I don't start the day without blackout. You shouldn't either. And their Coffee pods are a total game changer. These are not your average grocery store pods. Blackout pods are packed with fresh roasted bold coffee made right here in America, made right here in Florida. And they work with those single serve pod brewers. So it is fast, it is easy and it is delicious coffee. They've got amazing flavors. They've just got regular coffee. So if you're, if you just like your coffee black, nothing else in it, the roast is so good, it is so bold and strong. And if you want a little flavor, they have something for you too. They've got a bunch of different flavors. I love the cinnamon one personally. None of that bitter stale junk. You just pop in one of their coffee pods and you will have a smooth cup of coffee in just seconds. So if you're racing out the door juggling back to back calls, this is your new morning lifesaver or afternoon lifesaver or evening lifesaver. If you're like me and you've got to get through a show. So the best part is they ship nationwide no matter where you live. You can have Florida fresh coffee at your door in just days. Head to blackout coffee.com/scroll recently we asked.
Scott Bryson
Some people about sharing their New York Times accounts.
Haley Carania
My name is Dana, I am a.
Scott Bryson
Subscriber to the New York Times, but.
Haley Carania
My husband isn't and it would be.
Scott Bryson
Really nice to be able to share.
Haley Carania
A recipe or an article or compete.
Scott Bryson
With him in wordle or connections. Thank you Dana. We heard you introducing the New York Times family subscription. One subscription, up to four separate logins for anyone in your life. Find out more@nytimes.com family well, without further.
Haley Carania
Ado, I want to bring in former secret Service agent, also the host of the beyond the Service podcast, Scott Bryson to break down everything that we know. Scott, thank you for being here. Unfortunately we've brought you in on such horrible circumstances we had last time that we had you on it was the shooting in Minnesota at the Catholic school. Now we're seeing just a larger than life figure. One of our own, a conservative icon, Charlie Kirk gone way too soon, dead at 31 years old, leaving behind a wife and two young children. Now the shooter is still at large. What are the agents looking for? If I want to see this from a law enforcement standpoint, I know that in the presser earlier today they were explaining that they're canvassing the area, the woods that they found the firearm in. They are going to the houses, they're trying to get everyone's ring camera footage to just find everything. What are they looking for?
Scott Bryson
Well, first of all, thank you for having me, as usual. And I just wanted to give my condolences to Charlie's wife and his babies, who don't know what's going on yet. And it's just absolutely pitiful, the world that we live in. I know a lot of people were praying very hard for Charlie and his family yesterday, and I hate that he's gone from us, but he received his reward in full yesterday, and we're the ones that suffer. But to your question, you know what they're going to do? They're going to. They're going to start in the center, kind of at the nucleus, and they're going to work their way out. Obviously, they're going to talk to eyewitnesses. We saw a couple of people yesterday that the mainstream news media interviewed that I thought was going to be breaking news. And it was like, well, I heard. Well, that's hearing something, not seeing something. So some of those eyewitnesses weren't great. I'm sure they got some really good information. Of course, every single body, every single person there had some type of cell phone camera going. So there's tons and tons, tons and tons of cell phone footage available. The CCTV is extremely important. Talking to people on witnesses, live bodies, eyewitnesses there, that's crucial. They're going to, they're going to kind of reverse engineer it. They're going to start where what they. With what they know, and then they're going to work from there. And of course, I'm sure you've watched the coverage all day today where the FBI, the special agent in charge of the office there in Salt Lake City, was talking and the other gentleman, the department of like, I don't know, Public. Thank you, public safety, that he was talking. And they're doing a very thorough job. They're gonna, they're gonna work backwards and they're going to canvas the area. You just mentioned that. That was a word that I was going to bring up. That's what police say all the time. We're going to canvas the area. Which, guess what? It. If the sources that, if the information we have is correct, they found the weapon or a weapon, they're gonna, they're gonna. Then they're going to pull all the DNA off of that.
Haley Carania
Right.
Scott Bryson
People don't think. People think in terms of like, fingerprints and things like that, but your skin, you know, it, it loses, you know, it leaves the body throughout the day. Hair samples, all types of DNA. Yep. Sweat. Yeah. All kinds of Body fluids and things like that. They're going to look for the shoe imprints. I heard that they found a shoe imprint. Okay, so they're going to really get in the weeds on. Trust me, the technology that's out there that the good guys have is second to none. And they're going to, they're going to know what kind of shoe that is. They probably already know what kind of shoe it is by now, would be my best guess and, and things like that.
Haley Carania
I always like to remember to give law enforcement grace, because I think a lot of us, we watch these Criminal Minds episodes or NCIS or whatever it is, and they solve the crime and 20 minutes minus commercial breaks, right? And I think a lot of us, especially because so many people care so deeply about Charlie, we want an answer now and we want it. We want justice now. And I certainly feel that way. I know a lot of other people feel that way. And like, how long does something like this normally take? I know this is a manhunt situation, obviously, this is dire situation. There are boots on the ground. Because we don't know if this man has plans for someone else. Right. I mean, yes, he wanted to take out Charlie Kirk. Charlie Kirk was a target. We don't know if that's his only target. And we don't know where he is. So how far could he have gotten in more than 24 hours? If, if law enforcement have the firearm, they're, they're swabbing the, the firearm for any DNA they have the shoe. I mean, when do we think we might get somewhere?
Scott Bryson
Well, that's a really good question. And obviously we all want to know. I want to know. I've been in law enforcement for 30 years. I did the Secret Service thing for 25. And I understand wanting to know because I'm human at the end of the day, too, but it is a need to know basis. And I believe that they're throwing the kitchen sink at this thing. Yeah. With the brevity of the situation. Even if it was just a random person, like if it was just me or just Joe Blow, they're going to do a thorough investigation. The cops always do a good job. They get a bad rap, they're always doing good work. But with, with the situation at hand and the national security implications and the, the political overtones, I mean, they're going to throw the kitchen sink at this thing. And I, I think that we just have to be patient. We live in a culture and an age where, you know, if, if your phone doesn't give you Information in two seconds. You get aggravated, you go to the next tick tock. We just have to pump the brakes, we have to relax, we have to tr. That's why they do this. Okay? It's called law and order for a reason. You know, I love what Dan Bongino used to say all the time. I think he had a 72 hour rule. I forget what his number was, but he let the situation play out. You don't want to be first, you want to be accurate, if that makes sense.
Haley Carania
Yep, absolutely. And you know, what we know about this person of interest right now is that he used certain stairwells, he knew how to get onto the roof. So obviously this is someone who'd been to the campus before, either an insider or someone who had been planning this for a while and had access to this university. So do you think that this is one or the other a member of the university community? Maybe it's just someone in the community or do you think this is someone who is from the outside and kind of like came in here and tried to figure out things fast? I mean, to me this seemed like it was very well planned.
Scott Bryson
Yeah, I definitely, I think couple things. I have a thought rattle around in my brain and I'm not willing to share just yet because I don't want to speculate and, and that just doesn't do anybody any good. But I will say this to your question. This individual has been radicalized. Words matter. The left loves to talk about, oh the rhetoric from the right. Well, we're all human. We all say things we shouldn't say from time to time. But it's pretty much a one way street. Let's don't get it twisted. They're very manipulative and they blame us for all the things that they do. So in my best estimation, this young man, whether he's from there or from another town, is probably like an antifa mindset type of guy. And again, I'm speculating, I don't know that to be true. So I don't want people to put words in my mouth. But I feel like he's definitely probably a loner or some type of very sad person who's probably could possibly have mental health issues. We don't know about that. I mean he might not have anything, he might be as cognitive as I am. But I will say this about him. He's full of evil. Yeah. And this world is under spiritual attack. And I've said that the last time I was on here. And that's the drum I'm going to beat. Because I believe that to my core. I believe that what we're witnessing right now is spiritual warfare that's manifesting itself in individuals who've opened themselves up to the demonic world. That's what I believe.
Haley Carania
I agree with you with this timeline now. It's been more than 24 hours. Is it likely that he has, he's staying closer to the area or is it possible that he got on a plane somewhere? Is with the FBI, they had a few other different suspects or people of interest that they were kind of focusing in on yesterday during that time when they were questioning someone else. Is it possible that he could have gotten on a plane and he's in another state or another country?
Scott Bryson
I mean, I think anything's possible, but I think that's also unlikely. I want to use Eric Rudolph. I want to use Eric Rudolph for an example for just a second because back in when he was the for your audience that might not know he was the bomber at the Olympics down in Atlanta, 1996, Eric Rudolph and I can remember I was a young Secret Service agent and I was a full investigative mode. I thought I was the smartest thing walking around. And I really was convinced that he was out west at a compound in Montana or Wyoming or something. And he was found in the little town in western North Carolina, not very far away from Atlanta. So it's really hard to say. I know Candace Owens was tracking a flight yesterday and some different things like that. But here's the thing. This is kind of a double edged sword. So I think probably he's probably had some help which is helping him right now, which is bad for us. But guess what? People like to talk. And unless you're going to do something as a lone wolf and not talk, that's the only way you don't get caught. But people can't control themselves. They want the notoriety. Eventually someone's going to snitch on it for the money or they're going to get scared the cops are going to knock on the right door. And one of the other things I wanted to touch on really quickly because you asked me this at the beginning and I failed to say this time is of the essence. You know, most homicides are solved within the first 48 hours. Not all. Definitely not all. There are cold cases that get solved years later and there are cases that get solved in a week or two. But the further we get away from the time of death or the, the act of violence, that's not going in our favor. So that's why I believe that the FBI and all law enforcement are doing, it's all hands on deck. I'm sure those guys worked through the night last night. They're not going to stop this. This guy's time, whether it's a lone wolf or a couple of people, their days are numbered.
Haley Carania
You know, he took the gun with him and dropped it in the woods. Or, or do they know, sorry if I'm getting this wrong. Is he, did they, or do they know for sure that the gun that they have is the, the weapon?
Scott Bryson
Not to my knowledge. Now, they did find a weapon. I believe it was a Mauser. 36. Okay. Wrapped in a towel, which is sort of weird. I would think that you would just throw the gun in the woods. It would blend in, you know, in the woods better than a towel. Maybe he was trying to wipe the fingerprints off, who knows? But that's the suspect, suspected weapon. So I don't, you know, I can't.
Haley Carania
Confirm that because I was wondering, you know, if someone wanted to drop a weapon in the woods, is this someone who is panicking or is this someone who purposely left a weapon? Is it kind of like a decoy to throw law enforcement off that I sort of just, I don't know, I'm trying to get into the head of a criminal and I'm hoping you can help me.
Scott Bryson
Yeah, no, that's a very good question. That makes a lot of sense. You know, you think back and I wasn't on the earth during the John F. Kennedy assassination days either, but I've read a history and I know a little bit about history. So you think about, you know, Oswald and Jack Ruby and look at the shiny thing over here while the real thing is going on over here. So that's, that's also playing in the background in my mind. So I'm a little concerned about what might really be going on, which I'm not prepared to talk about yet. Yeah, I don't know that I'll ever have the courage to do that. But what I really hope, my hope is that it is what we think it is. It's a 20 something year old disgruntled individual who's mad at the world, who may or may not have, you know, mental health issues, but definitely hates Trump, hates the right, hates freedom, probably hates God, you know, just, just an evil person who's twisted. So I would think that he's probably, whoever did this, probably studied Butler, Pennsylvania and learned, did some learning from that because like you talked a minute ago before I came on about the copycat stuff already happening and in your own hometown in Long Island. Right. At least the threats of that. So this guy probably, if I had to guess, he probably said, okay, well, what went wrong in Butler? And then again, don't know if this is true, but if I would have done it, I would, I would have. I would have put the gun up there a day or two in advance. And then. Because you're not going to blend in on the crowd with a rif.
Haley Carania
Right. Well, so that is, I wanted to ask you about the similarities between yesterday and Butler, Pennsylvania, because I think there are a lot. It's this open space. But Andy had a question for you about whether or not the, the shooter brought the gun in with him or if, because he had access to the stairwells, if the gun was already up there. Andy, if you want to reiterate the question or expand on that, you know.
Andy
Like we're hearing from the FBI on their report this morning in their, in their briefing that the shooter was caught on cctv, I believe, in. And throughout the building, escalating and going up. You know, we talked about his, his ingress and his egress, you know, seemed pretty clean, you know, to get through there. But my question was that I think could lead to some more questions. Is he going up this. Is he going up the steps and throughout the building with the weapon in his hand? And when they see him leaving, is he leaving with the weapon in his hand? Because that would sort of indicate that it was. It was up there before him and then it got in the woods somehow without him.
Scott Bryson
You.
Andy
You know what I'm saying?
Haley Carania
Or someone else put a weapon in the woods and it wasn't the weapon.
Scott Bryson
Yeah. Now, those are all really good thoughts and, and I'm glad that you brought that up, because you know what I think happened? Again, be very careful what I say, because this is an ongoing investigation, but what I think probably happened, you have to realize, too, that every, every CCTV and every is different. Like, some things are on a loop, some things record for a day or two or a week, and then deleted. A lot of the stuff's on a loop, and after 24 hours, it kind of goes away. So he could, in theory, have known. Okay, well, if I'm going to walk in on game day, everybody's senses are security is going to be up a little bit. I could do this a day or two in advance.
Haley Carania
And.
Scott Bryson
Because who's going to look at a, who's going to look at CCTV in a stairwell two days? Like, maybe if Something happens, you're going to go pull the CCTV on game day, Right? But if you just have. If he's just. Because I saw one picture where he was walking up the stairs. The alleged guy was walking up the stairs. You could see the shoulder of another kid walking down. So he probably, if I had to guess, did his homework and was like, hey, I'm going to do this a couple of days in advance so that on game day I can blend in better. Because you're not going to walk around with a rifle and blend in. And then the other thing that Haley asked a second ago was, you know, I get back to the Mike Tyson thing. Everybody's got got a plan till they get punched in the mouth. Well, guess what? He pulled it off. And then he probably had the old crap factor, like, not only did I shoot, but I hit. Now I got to get out of here. So there's a good chance that he did panic.
Haley Carania
That's what I'm hoping for, do you think? And, you know, I'm trying to stay respectful, and I don't want to get conspirator, but you see a lot of stuff on social media and people are saying that there's no way that anyone with any basic knowledge of firearms could pull this off. Which then a lot of other people are saying, sure they can. Right. So do you think that this is someone that has training? Is it professional, or is this just a guy with a gun who got very lucky, unfortunately. Lucky in a bad way, I mean, obviously.
Scott Bryson
Yeah, no, I know exactly what you mean. This gets back to the whole Butler, Pennsylvania thing, you know, and that really hit home to me. As a retired Secret Service agent, I had worked that job for 25 years, and I know exactly the painstaking effort that that goes into that. But it gets back to the old adage, the bad guys only got to get it right one time. You have to get it right a million times out of a million. And sometimes, you know, Murphy is an sob. You know, what can go wrong, Will? And it's very frustrating because, you know, in my. My best estimation, my knee jerk reaction was okay. I pretty much felt like it was a sniper right off the bat based on the noise and the visual stuff that we saw and the impact and all that. I. I thought immediately, well, this is a professional, which, if it was a professional, then we have a whole nother can of worms that we have to worry about, which I don't even feel comfortable saying much about. If you're picking up what I'm laying down, and then the other thing is that's really not a very far shot. And I know I'm saying that sort of tongue in cheek because I the profession that I had and I was not a sniper, I'm not Chris Kyle or anything like that, but I've been around a lot of guns and a 200 yard shot, 130 yard shots, just not that far. Especially if he had an optic on it, which we don't even know. They said they found a mouse or 30 alt 6 in the woods. Did it have a scope or was it iron sights? And I know this is kind of immaterial because what happened, happened, but to get shot right there, I don't think that's where he was aiming. My best guess was he was aiming center mass, either the chest or the head. And he was a bad shot who got lucky. That's what I think.
Haley Carania
Or. Because people are also saying John Solomon was reporting that Charlie Kirk was wearing a bulletproof vest. And I haven't seen anyone confirm that. I don't know if he was 100% wearing one, but people are speculating. And John Solomon was reporting that yesterday that he was. Was wearing a bulletproof vest and it could have potentially shot or hit the bulletproof vest and then ricocheted. Other people online were saying that they thought that the neck wound that we saw was an exit wound. What do you think happened?
Scott Bryson
Yeah, I was told that yesterday too. So I started looking at. I didn't rewatch the horrific act again and again. Did zoom in on Charlie's shirt. God love him. He was wearing the shirt that said freedom. I mean, I just personified the guy. Just really, you know, the last 24 hours has just really been hard for all of us. It just really sucks. But I looked at his chest to see if he was wearing body armor. And he could have been wearing some type of body armor like a police officer wears. If he was, I don't think that he was, but if he was, that's rated differently and that's pretty much rated for handgun only. And like Andy and I were talking earlier, you know, even as a police officer, if you're wearing that body armor, high powered rifle is just gonna. It's just. It's not even gonna slow it up. It's just gonna go right through it. So he would have had to be. He would have needed to be wearing like a plate, like, you know, like a tactical. A tactical guy would wear like a Navy SEAL would wear with a plate. So it would stop a.762 round or something like that. I think the more logical explanation could possibly be it could, it could have been an entry wound over here and that could have been the exit wound perhaps. Again, I initially I thought this was definitely like, oh my gosh, this is a professional, we got problems. But the more I have looked at things and think about it, I just think it was a wingnut who like Trump got super, super lucky. And this is what it looks like when you, when you're close, but you get it right and it just, it's bad.
Haley Carania
Yeah, I, I do agree with you that whoever did this is evil. We can, obviously that's, of course we know that the person who did this is, has evil in their heart. That, that is unfathomable. But you know, we saw reporting earlier today from Steven Crowder that there were messages engraved on the bullet that were pro trans, anti fascist type political messages very similar to the shooter in Minnesota. And don't get me wrong, I think the left is very violent. But as of right now, we don't know who is behind this or what is behind this. It could be someone on the left, but it could be someone who just wants to keep us divided. It could be someone from the inside, someone from our government, one of our adversaries that knows that having the bullet engraved with some kind of political messaging will cause us to destabilize and turn on each other. I think that someone or something wants us to go to war with ourselves because we will be an easier target. What say you?
Scott Bryson
Oh no, I think you pretty much took the words out of my mouth. You said it a lot more eloquently than I would have said it. But yeah, I worry about the deep state 1000%, whatever that looks like. And, and guess what people, it's not just the United States of America. It's when we say the deep state is, it's global, it's a problem. The globalists want a one world order and all this other trash. So yes, that's very plausible, that that is not outside the realm of possibility. Unfortunately. I hope it proves to not be that because, you know, it could very easily be a patsy type thing. You know, like if your audience isn't familiar with the jfk, you know, assassination, look up Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby and how all that went down. They got, you know, a dead man, can't talk. So first things first, let's, let's get the guy who did it, who we believe, and then hopefully it turns out to be a nut job, 20 something year old kid that has been radicalized. But your thoughts are very in tune with what I've been worried about. And I don't think that's crazy at all.
Haley Carania
Unfortunately, Andy has another question for you.
Andy
Hey, Scott, tell me what you think the future is for these type of on campus events. You know, it breaks my heart that you don't think that kids could flow the campus, have a, have a great time and have, I mean, when I was in college, you'd go into the courtyard and there would be all kinds of things from, you know, the sororities and fraternities having their recruitment days and it's just full of energy and life and you'd have guest speakers and things come in and that's just a part of the thought of college. But it seems anymore with stuff like this, like, I mean, how could you. What are we, what are we looking at to mitigate something like, like this? I mean, at the end of the day, I know it's a 200 yard shot with the 30:06 and I don't really know what you can do about that kind of evil. But like, what are, what are we looking at here? Are we just going to have somebody stand in the popemobile? I mean, what's, what's, what's going to, what do you think's going to happen with the future of these events on campus?
Scott Bryson
Yeah, it's a sad state of affairs that we have to think about this type of stuff, but we do. I mean, the county and I, the county that I live in has a school resource officer in every school to include preschools and elementary schools. Let that sink in for a minute. That's ridiculous. But hey, it's, it's what we live in now. So why would college campuses be any different? I think you bring up a good point. You know, line of sight is a major issue. Okay. You know, do we want to have everything indoors? No, I love being outside. I can't stand being inside. I spend as much time outside as I can. But when you go outside, you have a whole nother. You have line of sight issues. You have 360 degrees to worry about. You have to have different access points. You have to have, you have to be able to bottleneck the people. You know, you have to have ingress and egress routes for the protectee, or this case, the speaker, the press, the public. So with Secret Service, you've got three different entry points, but that's fine because you have it cordoned off and bike rack and all the things. Right, like that. But see, the problem with this is. Charlie Kirk is a public figure, but he doesn't rate protection from the State Department or the Secret Service. So, you know, it's whatever. I don't know how that works. I don't know if his. If his company paid for the private security or police or whatever. I think there were police there. They need to have an e. An EMS crew there. I would think, not only for the person speaking, but what about in situations where people pass out and get dehydrated and just think that you could have. The gamut runs wide open, right? From a lady fainting in the crowd, a pregnant woman, someone gets shot, someone breaks an ankle. You have to have either EMS there. But I think to your point, Andy, I think the big takeaway is you're going to have to do magnetometers. I mean, good gracious. I went to a high school football game last Friday night. My wife couldn't even take her bag. And I'm like, what? I mean, she had a little wristlet with her cell phone, and they let that in. But her pocketbook, she knew she couldn't even take her pocketbook in. And we live out in the middle of nowhere, North Carolina. I mean, it's. It's the world that we live in. So we're either going to have to do it right or not do it at all. And I think the thing is, we're going to have to do it right.
Haley Carania
Yeah, I. I don't know why I was calling them metal detectors. Is that not the right term?
Scott Bryson
No, it is. Magnetometer. It's just a fancy word. Metal detector.
Haley Carania
I was thinking about that, too. And then I was thinking, okay, so the conservative movement is not over. Right? I mean, we are not done doing speaking engagements at colleges or campaign rallies. Like, this is not deterring us. So when we move forward, does it have to be inside where it's like a concert and everyone's bag is checked and there's one. You can't get in without being checked. Maybe we can't do things outside anymore. Or if they're outside, there needs to be these things that are walled off, where, you know, it's kind of like a maze, and you are. It's one way out, you know, one way in. But then I was thinking about metal detectors, and they had those at the Trump campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and the guy got in. So it's so hard to think, you know, what could we have done better? Or what can we do in the future? Because I feel like the threat is always there. So what would Be your advice to not only conservative speakers, but people on the left, because the world is violent, right? So anyone, a public figure who is speaking, who might be attracting some kind of a protest, what would be your advice to keep them safe? And then also, if you're a spectator, what would be your advice to stay safe?
Scott Bryson
Yeah, that's good. I think if you're the event coordinator or the planner or the board of trustees or whatever the case is, whoever's holding the purse strings, you have to build this into your budget. It comes down to money and manpower. And unfortunately, you know, just like with the CEO up in New York who got shot last December, you know, he had protection, but he had run out real quick to get a coffee or whatever before. And he probably told his guy, just sleep in. I'll see at the meeting, or whatever. You have to take this stuff seriously, you know, and it's unfortunate, but you do. And you have to ask yourself, what's your appetite for risk? That's what we talk about in my world. What's your appetite for risk? You know, because it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. And it takes manpower and it takes money, and so you're going to have to bolster. The thought of not being able to have an event outside just makes my skin crawl. I'm going to an event next weekend, actually, this weekend called Faith Fest. It's. It's an outdoor Christian music festival. And Greg Laurie is going to be preaching, and I'm excited. I can't wait to go. But trust me, they're not playing any games. Franklin Graham is coming, and he's got former Secret Service agents as his detail. Yeah, as his detail leader, as his limo driver. The retired highway patrolman is in charge of the security plan. And trust me, the footprint's big. And. And so I think that that's. That that's the answer to the first part of your question. And then moving forward. Well, sorry, but the other part of your question is if you're a spectator and you want to go, you have to know the difference between cover and concealment. And these are sort of police terms. But, you know, concealment is basically what Charlie was in yesterday, the little tent. Now, he obviously, the guy had a line of sight on him, but from people behind him, couldn't see because there was a drape, you know, so it could be. Concealment is like a bush or a tree or grass or things like that. Cover would be a rock, like a massive rock, or behind a brick wall or Brick pillar, things like that. So when you're at these events, you don't have to be up front because guess what, if you're up front and something bad happens, you're going to get smushed up against the bike. It's going to be a stampede. So, yes, I like to see and hear things too, but I always get there a little early and I try to find what I call high ground, whether it's a little knoll or it could be a picnic table, it could be a wall. And I get up there and I try to survey the area and I'm like, okay, if this, then that you have to war game it. Yeah, you know, people don't do that. We have to, we have to stay in condition yellow. You guys know I love to talk about that. It's like, it's just a low level of alert readiness. We're not walking around paranoid. But you can't also walk around in condition, right? Which is just blind, oblivious. You can't be oblivious. You have to think about these things because failing to plan is planning to fail. And I know that's old cliche, old cliche statement, but it's the truth. You know, the. I'm a football coach as well, and I believe in the kiss principle. Keep it simple, keep it simple. But you have to have a plan. Because here's I want to do. I do want to say this before, before I go. Hope in Jesus Christ is a real thing, but hope by itself in the real world is not a plan. So just for your listeners understand, hoping for the best is not going to cut.
Haley Carania
Yeah, it's great advice. Keep your head on a swivel. Always looking for an escape plan. I mean, I never really think about how I'm going to leave once I'm in somewhere. I mean, I am going to think very differently about my surroundings anytime I'm in a big public setting. So thank you so much for your insight, Scott, host of beyond the Service podcast and Silverlock contributor. We really appreciate your insight always.
Scott Bryson
Thank you for having me.
Haley Carania
Thank you. Well, a lot of Americans are hurting today for the lives lost 24 years ago in the worst terror attack on American soil in history. We are still reeling from that. Families have empty chairs at their dinner tables. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters who woke up and went to work. They went to school, they were in the area, they never came home. Other empty seats belong to first responders, firefighters, law enforcement officers who spent weeks searching for bodies in the rubble of the Twin Towers. Empty seats also belong to the sons and daughters who went to fight the war on terror, Brave men and women who will also never return home. And there are heroes still alive today that suffer every day from respiratory illnesses and cancers because of their service at Ground Zero. When these tragedies take place, it leaves a hole in our hearts. But we have to be stronger than the evil that wants to divide us. This is a battle between good and evil. But when we see evil take place, whether it's 9, 11, or the assassination of Charlie Kirk, we as Christians know there is no evil without good. Goodness is alive in all of us when we seek God. And that is what Charlie would have wanted. So I want to leave everyone with that. Rest in peace to Charlie Kirk. Rest in peace to all the Souls we lost 24 years ago. And I will see you right back here tomorrow.
Episode 132: Manhunt Underway for Charlie Kirk’s Assassin
Host: Hayley Caronia
Date: September 12, 2025
On this somber episode of Nightly Scroll, Hayley Caronia addresses the fallout from the shocking assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, delving into the details of the ongoing manhunt for his killer. Hayley provides up-to-the-minute updates from the FBI and law enforcement, explores responses from the media and political figures, and reflects on the broader impact of this tragedy on the conservative movement and the nation as a whole. Joined by former Secret Service agent Scott Bryson, the discussion tackles not only the investigation’s progress but also the increased dangers facing public conservative voices and what the future may hold for political events in America.
[00:30 – 03:41]
[03:42 – 04:42]
[04:43 – 08:49]
[08:50 – 18:42]
[21:23 – 24:27]
Democratic Response in Congress:
Deflection of Blame for Political Violence:
[27:35 – 28:22]
[31:31 – 61:44]
Discussion about whether the shooter is a local, part of the campus community, or an outsider.
Possibility of escaping the area; historical comparison to Eric Rudolph (Olympic bomber).
[53:45 – 61:17]
Unapologetically conservative, emotionally charged, and direct. Hayley balances somber reflection with pointed critique of perceived media and political failures, interspersing hope, commemoration, and calls to action for renewed faith and vigilance. The conversation with Scott Bryson carries an authoritative, grave tone, emphasizing the seriousness of both the crime and its implications for political life and public safety in America.
This summary provides a comprehensive overview of “Manhunt Underway for Charlie Kirk’s Assassin (Ep.132),” capturing all essential topics, analysis, and the emotional essence of a pivotal moment in American political commentary.