(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The New York Times reported Thursday night that FBI agents waited 12 hours before showing a photo of the Charlie Kirk assassination suspect with their boss, Director Kashyap Patel.
Patel and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly ripped the agents in an online Thursday morning meeting over the matter, saying he wouldn’t tolerate any more “Mickey Mouse operations.” About 200 agents were on the call.
“They expressed themselves with such fierce urgency that, in the view of some participants, it hinted at another motive: to prove they were up to the task,” the Times reported.
The FBI released photos of the suspect on Thursday afternoon. Presumably, the public could’ve seen those photos up to 15 or more hours earlier if they had been shared with Patel in a timely fashion.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
The FBI is looking for this person of interest related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
If you have a tip call: 1-800-CALL-FBI pic.twitter.com/pnrbUYm0dN
— Breanna Morello (@BreannaMorello) September 11, 2025
The agents’ suppression of the photo was one of many apparent blunders made by the FBI during its roughly 36-hour manhunt. President Donald Trump said Friday morning that they finally have a suspect in custody.
Law enforcement previously had two persons of interest in custody before clearing them.
The first person, George Zinn, was booked in the county jail for obstruction of justice. Zinn apparently made a scene after the shooting that may have distracted law enforcement and allowed the killer to escape unnoticed.
The second person taken into custody, Zachariah Qureshi, was initially described by Director Patel as a suspect. However, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox clarified at the press conference that Qureshi was a person of interest rather than a suspect. Mason further said Thursday morning that neither men were considered suspects.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
