US President Donald Trump today said that a suspect accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been taken into custody, adding that the arrest came after “somebody very close to him turned him in.”
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had “a high degree of certainty” that law enforcement had apprehended the suspect.
“The person was involved with law enforcement, but was a person of faith, a minister, and brought him to a US Marshal who was fantastic. They drove into the police headquarters, and he’s there now. We have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for.” Trump said, as quoted by the Associated Press, citing Fox News.
The Killing
Kirk, 31, was shot on Wednesday while addressing students and supporters at Utah Valley University. The killing, carried out in daylight and captured on video, was carried out when a large crowd had gathered under a canopy marked with one of Kirk’s trademark slogans, “Prove Me Wrong.”
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Multiple videos show a single gunshot cutting through the air as Kirk fielded questions on gun violence. The clips circulating on social media show him clutching his neck, blood streaming from the wound, before collapsing as panicked spectators fled.
Investigators said the shooter fired one round from the rooftop of a nearby building, using what authorities later identified as a Mauser 30-06 bolt-action rifle. The weapon was recovered in a wooded area adjacent to the campus car park, where investigators also found palm prints believed to belong to the suspect.
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Visuals released by the FBI showed a man in his twenties or early thirties, wearing Converse shoes, a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses and a long-sleeved shirt with an American flag motif. The video depicts the suspect moving quickly across a rooftop before vanishing into a residential neighbourhood.
The Manhunt
In the 48 hours following the shooting, law enforcement agencies conducted one of the largest coordinated manhunts in recent history. More than 20 agencies and hundreds of officers were mobilised, assisted by over 7,000 public tips.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox appealed for public cooperation, standing alongside FBI officials at a Thursday press briefing. “We cannot do our job without the public’s help,” Cox said, urging vigilance while acknowledging the spread of misinformation online.
The FBI has not confirmed whether the arrest came as a result of the $100,000 reward offered for information.
