Images of a man suspected by the FBI to have fatally shot Trump ally Charlie Kirk have sparked a frenzy of apparent cash-grabs attempting to feed off interest in his clothing.
The man’s shirt appears to bear a common variant of a clothing graphic featuring the US flag, an American eagle and the text ‘land of the free, home of the brave’ referencing the country’s national anthem.
Shirts bearing the graphic have been on sale since at least 2022, but a slew of new listings appeared online after investigators released images of the suspected gunman leaving the scene.
Some listings on eBay explicitly included terms such as ‘Charlie Kirk’ and ‘shooting’ in an apparent attempt to capitalise on internet searches, with price tags as high as $500 (£370).
Listings referencing the incident in this way have been promptly removed by the site, though others describing the shirts in generic ways remain online.
One independent seller specialising in satirical t-shirts is continuing to sell a similar item under the title ‘Charlie Kirk Shooter’s Shirt’ for $17.99 (£13.30).
Metro has approached the seller, which claims to be based in Charlotte, North Carolina, for comment.
A different T-shirt more explicitly satirising Mr Kirk’s killing drew heavy criticism after briefly appearing on social media.
The shirt bears a graphic cartoon of Mr Kirk’s fatal injury with the words ‘debate this’ underneath.
An image of the graphic photoshopped onto an unrelated image of a woman holding up a t-shirt was shared by TeleTeeShirt on X, where it was branded ‘disgusting’ by users.
The shirt did not appear to be available on the seller’s website and it was not immediately clear whether it ever was.
Amazon has also played host to a number of suspicious listings for books and audiobooks about Charlie’s death.
With titles such as ‘The Charlie Kirk Shooting: A Nation on Edge’, they popped up hours after the incident and have since been removed.
The implausibility of such a book being written and published in such a short space of time prompted speculation that sellers created materials using AI or otherwise duped Amazon’s listings system.
A huge manhunt for the killer is now entering its third day.
The FBI has urged members of the public to keep an eye out for the suspect, paying close attention to his ‘distinctive’ shirt as well as his dark sunglasses, a blue baseball cap, dark jeans and Converse shoes.
The governor of Utah has said authorities ‘cannot do our job without the public’s help right now’, adding the FBI has already received 7,000 leads and tips.
Enhanced photos released by investigators show him climbing a stairwell at a building overlooking the scene of the shooting.
In newly shared footage said to show the same man, a figure is seen running across the roof of the building from where the fatal shot was fired.
He then drops down to the grass below before walking to a nearby road and heading out of view.
Authorities say they recovered hand prints, a shoe print and possible DNA traces from the spot the man climbed down from.
They have also recovered the alleged murder weapon – a rifle – in a ‘wooded area’ where the suspect was seen entering.
Sources close to the investigation told CNN that phrases related to political issues were drawn onto or etched into the rifle and ammunition.
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