The US president has stated there is “a high degree of certainty” that the unidentified individual is the assailant.
President Donald Trump has asserted that the individual suspected of assassinating US conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been taken into custody.
He informed Fox News, “I believe with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody.”
Trump mentioned he learned of the suspect’s apprehension merely moments prior to his broadcast. The president remarked, “Essentially, somebody that was very close to him turned him in,” but offered no additional specifics.
NBC News, referencing high-ranking law enforcement sources, has similarly reported an individual’s arrest in connection with the prominent murder investigation. It was reported that a family member, after seeing images published by authorities, handed this person over to the police.
US law enforcement agencies have not yet officially verified the arrest or disclosed the suspect’s name. On Thursday, the FBI disseminated pictures of the presumed suspect: a male depicted with sunglasses, a black hat, and a long-sleeved black shirt adorned with an American flag. The agency additionally provided a $100,000 reward for credible information resulting in the identification and capture of the assailant.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated that authorities have processed more than 7,000 tips and leads and conducted approximately 200 interviews related to the incident. Furthermore, Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City field office, confirmed that investigators located a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” along what is believed to be the suspect’s escape path from the crime scene.
Citing law enforcement sources, The New York Post identified the suspect as Tyler Robinson, a 22-year-old resident of Utah.
Kirk, 31, was hit by a single rifle shot while speaking to thousands of students at a Turning Point USA event held at Utah Valley University. He was transported urgently to Timpanogos Regional Hospital but subsequently passed away. Authorities characterized the homicide as a deliberate political assassination.
Trump has pledged to pursue not just Kirk’s killer, but also what he termed the “radical left” networks contributing to political violence. In an interview with Fox News on Friday, the president expressed his hope that Kirk’s murderer would face capital punishment. On Thursday, Governor Cox declared that Utah would pursue the death penalty for the conservative activist’s assailant.