US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that the suspect in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk had been taken into custody after a massive manhunt.
"Somebody very close to him turned him in," Trump told Fox News in a live studio interview.
During the conversation, he later revealed that the suspect’s father helped the authorities turn the suspect in.
“The person, most probably his father, 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.
NBC News quoted five senior law enforcement officials confirming that the suspect arrested has been identified as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old resident of Utah.
Trump's confirmation of the arrest came as the vast manhunt for the shooter stretched into a third day on Friday, after police released fresh images in an effort to crack a case that has raised tensions in the United States.
The gunman fired a single, fatal shot into Kirk -- a 31-year-old who rallied youth support for President Donald Trump -- during an appearance at a Utah university on Wednesday.
The attack, carried out in broad daylight as Kirk spoke about social issues, was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media.
The videos show Kirk, who played an influential role in rallying young Republican voters, speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out. Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck. Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away.
The shooter, who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance, fired one shot from the rooftop, according to authorities. Video released Thursday showed the person then walking through the grass and across the street before disappearing.
“I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City.
Trump, who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence, said he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, visited with Kirk's family Thursday in Salt Lake City. Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship, dating back to initial messages in 2017, through Vance’s Senate run and the 2024 election.
“So much of the success we’ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie’s ability to organize and convene,” Vance wrote. “He didn’t just help us win in 2024, he helped us staff the entire government.”
Kirk’s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix, where his nonprofit political youth organization, Turning Point USA, is based. Trump told reporters he plans to attend Kirk's funeral. Details have not been announced.
Kirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force among young Republicans and was a fixture on college campuses, where he invited sometimes-vehement debate on social issues.
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