Elite sniper breaks down Charlie Kirk assassin’s sick plot… and reveals tiny detail everyone’s missed: The gun. The planning. And his critical slip

One of America’s greatest-ever snipers has revealed how he believes Charlie Kirk’s assassin pulled off the brutal killing.

Sergeant Nicholas Ranstad broke down the shooting in minute detail based on his raft of experience around high-powered weapons and long-distance shots.

He outlined what he believes could be in the killer’s background, and the meticulous planning that would have gone into such an attack.

Ranstad said he believes those claiming the gun used was an AR-15 were wrong, as hidden details he spotted suggest it was a more powerful rifle.

Kirk, the founder and CEO of MAGA-faithful Turning Point USA, was horrifically gunned down on Wednesday afternoon during a rally at Utah Valley University.

A college spokesman said the killer shot him from a building about 200 yards away from where he was sitting addressing a large crowd.

Ranstad, whose 6,778ft kill in Afghanistan set a record for the longest by an American in Afghanistan at the time, spoke to the Daily Mail about the shooting.

He said the amphitheater-like site was a ‘fish bowl’ for any shooter, pointing out how much easier it is to hit a target when shooting down from a roof.

Sergeant Nicholas Ranstad broke down the shooting in minute detail based on his raft of experience around high-powered weapons and long-distance shots (pictured: a figure on the roof near the attack site)

Kirk, the founder and CEO of MAGA-faithful Turning Point USA, was horrifically gunned down on Wednesday afternoon during a rally at Utah Valley University

He said: ‘The security was super light, no crime at that school. So I guess the threat was low apparently.

‘That’s a buffet for someone who wanted to kill someone. It looked like a fishbowl, like an amphitheater, and high ground is money for shooters. Shooting down is easy.’

He continued: ‘When you have events like that you look at the security, if you push 250, 300 yards, it’s an easy shot.

‘And not to mention out in the open, wind is low out in the country. It’s not like in the city where a bullet flying past the buildings will move more.’

He added: ‘Any bloke can go to the range three or four times and make that shot. I would start looking at range time if I were police.

‘They should get all the videos, who’s got what rifle and who isn’t properly trained so doesn’t know how to control their blood pressure and adrenaline.

‘They’re probably just an internet shooter, not a sniper or trained soldier.’

Army specialist sniper Nick Ranstad killed a Taliban terrorist from 1.28 miles away in 2008. At the time it was the longest kill by an American in Afghanistan

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Ranstad also dispelled claims the shooter was using an easily-accessible AR-15, commonly used in school shootings across America.

He said he thought it was likely a more powerful rifle, based on the sound during the shot heard across multiple videos.

He continued: ‘It sounded like a high-powered rifle, possibly bolt action. I heard the crack and saw him shoot so I’m thinking long[-range] rifle.

‘I don’t think it is that far of a shot for a high-powered rifle. I think it was maybe a 308 bolt action, or 762.’

He went on: ‘I don’t think it was an AR, the crack had too much bass in it, not a crack like an AR.’

Officials announced on Thursday that they believe they have now recovered the firearm – which was described as a high-powered, bolt action rifle.

‘He was shot in the neck and just fell over and he was just a fountain of blood,’ a witness told the Daily Mail of the horrific shooting

But Ranstad suggested the shooter may have made a small error during his attack, which makes him think he was not highly trained.

He said the reason Kirk was hit in the neck, rather than the head or chest as a trained soldier would aim for, was down to his failure to control external factors.

Ranstad said: ‘He was probably aiming for the head but didn’t take into consideration the wind, and the bullet pulled a bit.

‘He didn’t take into consideration the drop or angle.’

He continued: ‘Him getting shot in the neck means I think he went for the head, but his adrenaline would have been going crazy.’

He added: ‘I think he was right-handed from the videos, so probably had a bad trigger pull.’

Sickening videos captured the moment Kirk rocked back as the bullet lodged into his neck and blood burst out from his body.

The huge crowd immediately started screaming and rushed to flee the ‘fishbowl’ area where the debate was taking place.

Ranstad said: ‘In my opinion he was dead on the spot. I’ve seen arterial bleeds like that and you have seconds.

‘They didn’t do any quick clot as they probably didn’t have any on them. It works but you’ve got to be so quick with it. The way he kicked back left, yeah, he was done.

‘Even that angle with him up top on the concrete wall looking down at Charlie, it looked like it came from that guy’s left.’

The shooting sparked a huge manhunt with the FBI descending on the scene and local cops piling into the area.

An elderly man was seen being led away in cuffs muttering to himself, but police later said he was not connected to the case.

Later on Wednesday evening officers revealed they had taken another man into custody in connection with the case. He was also quickly released.

Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika (nee Frantzve), with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a son, 16 months

Ranstad said the fact that only one shot was fired and the suspect disappeared for a number of hours suggested he had a solid exit plan after the killing.

He said: ‘He probably had an exit plan. Normally it’s crazy people who shoot 30 rounds. This was one shot, that was it.

‘In my opinion they had a plan. If you think about it, one shot, he’s not caught… when I saw the old dude I knew it wasn’t him.’

He added: ‘I pray for Charlie and I lowered my flag to half-staff.’

Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika Kirk (nee Frantzve), with whom he had a three-year-old daughter and a 16-month-old son. They celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary in May.

Donald Trump led the tributes for the late political commentator. ‘The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead,’ he wrote on Truth Social.

‘He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!’

The President has ordered all American flags to be lowered to half-staff until Sunday evening at 6pm EST in honor of Kirk.