President Donald Trump announced early Friday morning that “with a high degree of certainty,” the suspect in the Charlie Kirk killing has been caught.
“I think with a high degree of certainty we have him,” he said in a live interview on Fox News Chanel, adding that a minister who is also involved with law enforcement turned in the suspect to authorities. “Somebody that was very close to him said, ‘Hmm, that’s him,’” Trump said.
The suspect in custody is a 22-year-old from Utah, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. Authorities have identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation.
Kirk, the 31-year-old conservative political activist and co-founder of the conservative organization Turning Point USA, was fatally struck in the neck by an assassin’s bullet during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, hosted by his nonprofit political organization. He was discussing mass shootings in the United States at the moment he was shot.
Federal investigators and state officials on Thursday had released photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible. More than 7,000 leads and tips had poured in, officials said. Authorities have yet to publicly cite a motive in the killing, the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States.
Near the end of his Fox interview, Trump said he’d been holding a meeting about building the new White House ballroom when his aides interrupted.
“They came in and they said, ‘Charlie Kirk is dead.’ I didn’t know what they meant. I said, ‘What do you mean, dead?’” Trump said.
”‘Charlie Kirk was shot.’ And they thought it was dead because it was so horrific.”
Trump said he swiftly ended his meeting. “I just told these people, “Get out, you gotta go.”
The assassination offers the latest example of how ordinary security measures can be defeated in an era of escalating political violence, when anyone associated with the political process is a potential target. Security experts interviewed by AP questioned whether the event was sufficiently staffed but also acknowledged the limitations of both campus police forces and outdoor venues.
This is a developing story.