(MENAFN) Utah Governor Spencer Cox claimed Thursday that bots linked to Russia and China are attempting to incite civil unrest after the fatal shooting of American conservative commentator Charlie Kirk.

“What we’re seeing is our adversaries want violence,” Cox said during a briefing with senior law enforcement officials. “We have bots from Russia, China, all over the world, that are trying to instill disinformation and encourage violence. I would encourage you to ignore those, to turn off those streams, and to spend a little more time with our families.”

The FBI has reportedly received over 7,000 tips from the public as 20 federal and local law enforcement agencies continue the manhunt, now into its second day.

Kirk, 31, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking to students at Utah Valley University in Orem, roughly 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, despite the presence of six university police officers and his private security team.

Videos circulating online captured the moment a bullet struck Kirk, causing students to flee in panic. He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

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