A private jet owned by Derek Maxfield, CEO of Komigo and a well-known Utah philanthropist, drew attention online after it disabled its location tracking shortly after leaving Provo Airport. The flight occurred about an hour after Charlie Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University.
The Bombardier Challenger 300, tail number N888KG, disappeared from flight tracking near the Arizona border and later returned to Provo. Some social media users suggested that the flight might be connected to the shooter’s escape.
Flight records show that the jet left Provo at 1:11 p.m. with two pilots and no passengers. The plane’s transponder was turned off at 1:43 p.m. near Page, Arizona, which is normal for non-towered airports. The aircraft returned later with seven passengers.
Maxfield said the flight was pre-scheduled and followed all aviation rules. “Any suggestion that the flights by N888KG yesterday are in any way connected to the tragic shooting of Mr. Kirk is inaccurate, false, and without any credible basis of any kind,” he said.
Experts said losing radar contact is common near mountains or smaller airports. The FBI and local authorities have not linked Maxfield, his company, or the jet to the shooting and have not commented publicly.
Maxfield posted on social media that the online theories are “unfair and unsubstantiated.” He said neither he nor anyone associated with the flight has been contacted by authorities. He asked the public to focus on supporting Kirk’s family and finding the real culprit.
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