President Donald Trump said Friday morning that the man suspected of fatally shooting right-wing activist Charlie Kirk is in custody, marking a dramatic turn in the high-profile manhunt that has gripped the nation since Wednesday.
“I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” Trump said during an appearance on the Fox News morning show Fox and Friends, noting he had been informed of the development just minutes earlier. “Essentially somebody that was very close to him turned him in.”
The president offered no name but insisted, “the facts are the facts. We have the person that we think is the person we’re looking for.”
According to the Associated Press, the suspect is 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah.
The announcement came less than an hour before law enforcement officials were set to hold a press conference in Utah, where Kirk was gunned down during an outdoor event at Utah Valley University. The FBI had released surveillance images on Thursday showing the suspect’s clothing and a video of a figure leaping from a rooftop.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was a prominent figure in conservative politics who built his profile by attacking LGBTQ+ rights and spreading conspiracy theories. His assassination has already inflamed political tensions, with allies demanding swift justice and critics pointing to his legacy of polarizing rhetoric.
Watch the Utah press conference below.
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This story is developing.
This article originally appeared on Advocate: BREAKING: Charlie Kirk shooter in custody, Trump announces