Fact check: AI image of Kirk shooter fuels conspiracy – DW – 09/15/2025

On September 10, Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist from the United States was shot during an event at Utah Valley University. The alleged attacker, identified as 22-year-old Utah native Tyler R., was taken into custody on September 12.

Following the incident, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released a videoand several images of a "person of interest," asking the public for help in identifying the suspect. Once Tyler R. was apprehended, his mugshot was made public.

Misinformation floods the internet

Social media platforms were quickly flooded with images and videos allegedly showing the suspect. While some were authentic, many were misleading or entirely false. DW Fact check noticed one image in particular gained traction, with users calling it a “high-quality” depiction of the attacker.

Claim: The Washington County Sheriff's Office, Utah, posteda picture on its Facebook timeline claiming to show a "much clearer image of the suspect compared to others we have seen in the media."

DW Fact check: Fake 

The same picture has appeared on X multiple times (here, hereand here). These are all examples of misinformation. At first glance, the image resembles a close-up of the FBI-released photo. Upon closer inspection, several indicators suggest it is fake, AI-generated, to be more precise.

Evidence of AI manipulation

First: The image in question was never officially released by the FBI. Second: A side-by-side comparison reveals differences in eye level, color sharpness, and texture. The AI-generated image features unnaturally smooth skin, wax-like facial features, and painted-like colors, unlike the grainy original.

The image posted by the Sheriff’s Office also contains obvious AI mistakes: The suspect appears to wear a watch on the left wrist, which is absent in the original. The cap displays a gibberish symbol, and the flag on the t-shirt is distorted. The face lacks wrinkles, and the background includes a person in black trousers who doesn’t appear in the original image.

In contrast, the FBI's original image shows someone descending stairs in a light-colored shirt behind the suspect, not standing directly behind him.

The FBI has released six CCTV images taken before R. was caught, related to the Kirk investigation, only one of which shows the person's frontal face, when they are apparently climbing stairs. The rest are from the back or side, revealing little about the individual’s identity. The person is wearing a cap and sunglasses, making recognition difficult. 

Mugshot vs. CCTV: Speculation online

After Tyler R.’s arrest, comparisons between his mugshot and the CCTV images began circulating. Due to the AI-generated and AI-manipulated content, many online users are claiming that the FBI has caught the wrong person. Many users mistakenly used the AI-generated image for comparison, leading to claims that the person in the mugshot was not the same as the one in the surveillance footage. Differences in ears, mouth, and facial structure were cited, all stemming from the fact that the image used was artificially generated.

AI image generators can transform real photos into convincing fakes within seconds. These tools allow users to input text or existing images to create realistic-looking visuals. For demonstration purposes, DW’s fact-checking team also generated an AI version of the suspect’s image, which appeared sharper and more detailed than the original.

Dario Berrio Gil contributed to this report.

Edited by: Rachel Baig