WASHINGTON — Kash Patel faced his biggest test yet as FBI director as current and former officials criticized his inaccurate statement that a suspect had been caught in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump.

Moments before officials on the scene of the shooting in Orem, Utah, briefed the press on Wednesday, Patel announced on social media that the person responsible for the shooting was in custody. That claim was quickly contradicted by local officials, leading to hours of confusion before the FBI clarified that two people had been questioned and then released following the incident.

Current and former U.S. officials called Patel’s announcement counterproductive.

“At the outset of an investigation, much of the initial intell

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