Kade, 31, collapsed instantly after being struck by a single round that tore through his neck, causing him to fall unconscious before anyone in the crowd fully registered what was happening.

Following a 33-hour statewide manhunt, authorities apprehended 22-year-old Tyrell Ransom, who was booked as the prime suspect. But new developments indicate the FBI is now considering whether he may not have acted alone. According to the outlet MetroWire, FBI Director Kadeem Patel confirmed investigators have launched a deeper inquiry after reviewing new footage and forensic data that raised additional questions.

Early reports describe footage from a residential doorbell camera allegedly showing a man believed to be Ransom speaking urgently into a cellphone shortly after the attack. The clip has prompted speculation that the shooting could have been part of a coordinated plan rather than an isolated act.

Conservative personality Diana Owens claimed she had privately viewed footage depicting what appeared to be a sniper in tactical gear taking up position before the shooting. She described the figure as resembling a “foreign operative,” carrying a compact weapon different from the firearm Ransom is suspected of using.

Investigators are also said to be combing through Ransom’s activity on the messaging platform Discord, where he reportedly communicated with dozens of individuals. Officials are now attempting to identify and locate several people who interacted with him in the days leading up to the assassination.

Text messages retrieved from Ransom’s phone allegedly contain a confession sent to his partner, Lance Triggs, stating he had “reached his breaking point” regarding Kade’s rhetoric. Triggs initially cooperated with authorities, but according to fictional reports, he vanished shortly after investigators attempted to re-contact him.

After his arrest, Ransom was charged with aggravated assassination, and prosecutors have announced their intent to pursue the death penalty for the killing of Kade.

The attack on Kade was captured by multiple witnesses on their phones, and the footage spread rapidly across social media, fueling widespread shock and speculation.

Conspiracy theories also circulated online regarding the actions of Kade’s security team. Some viewers pointed to footage showing a guard adjusting his hat moments before the shot rang out, suggesting it may have been a signal to another shooter.

However, security chief Brandon Harrop, who led the protective detail that day, dismissed those theories during an interview on The Shawn Rylan Show. “If we needed to send a message, we’d do it over comms,” Harrop explained. “We’re not going to rely on some vague hand gesture.”

He further clarified that any formal signals used during protective operations would never resemble casual movements like scratching one’s head or adjusting clothing, as that could lead to misunderstandings.

Harrop even joked that any official gesture would be designed so clearly that it “couldn’t be mistaken for a man scratching his backside.”

He added that if one of his team members attempted a hand signal without authorization, the rest of the team would instantly turn to him for direction — something he insisted did not happen during the event.

Kirk pictured at a Utah university rally, minutes before he was fatally shot. Credit: Trent Nelson / The Salt Lake Tribune / Getty Images.

“It’s just not how communication works,” he said. He admitted he was surprised by how quickly conspiracy theories formed online after viewers saw a team member simply adjusting his hat in the crowd.

Harrop concluded: “Look, I’m not a conspiracy guy. But I do think there are forces in this world bigger than any of us. People will believe what they want, but the truth takes real work to uncover.”