Investigation Follows Flight Path After Charlie Kirk Shooting
The shooting of political activist Charlie Kirk on september 10th at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem sparked public interest in a private aircraft that took off from a nearby airport shortly after the incident. Authorities apprehended Tyler Robinson, 22, on September 13th, and he has been officially charged with the murder following the revelation of his DNA on the weapon used in the shooting. However, initial speculation focused on a possible connection between the shooting and the flight.
The aircraft, registered as N888KG, a bombardier Challenger 300, departed from Provo Airport (PVU) around 13:11 local time, approximately an hour after the shooting occurred at 12:00 local time. The plane’s flight path drew attention when radar tracking, as documented by Flightradar24, showed it ceased transmitting location data while approaching the Arizona state border at 13:43. radar contact was re-established at 14:30 as the aircraft departed from Page Municipal Airport (PGA) in Arizona, returning to land at Provo Airport at 15:06.
The aircraft is registered to an address associated with Komigo, an online marketing company owned by entrepreneur Derek Maxfield. This connection led to speculation on social media linking Maxfield to the shooting. Maxfield addressed these claims publicly, stating, “As unluckily frequently enough happens after such frightening events committed in public, there are various unsubstantiated theories and suspicions almost immediately after social networks. This has happened even in the case of Mr. Kirk’s murder, and one of the unverified theory has been unjustly affected by our family.”
Maxfield explained the flight’s itinerary, stating that the plane initially flew from Provo to Page, Arizona, with two pilots on board, operating under a pre-approved flight plan. After landing in Page, Maxfield and seven other passengers boarded the aircraft, intending to return to Komigo’s headquarters in Utah.
Regarding the interruption in radar tracking, Maxfield stated that the radar was intentionally turned off approximately 10 miles from Page Airport, based on an agreement between the FAA airport center in Denver and the aircraft. He explained this is a standard procedure when landing at airports without an airport tower, a category that includes Page Municipal Airport.
Maxfield emphatically denied any connection between the shooting and the flight,asserting that law enforcement authorities did not contact any of the passengers on board N888KG. He maintains the flight was unrelated to the incident and that the speculation is unfounded.
