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Washington: A suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a Utah university has been taken into custody, US President Donald Trump says.
“I think we have him,” Trump told Fox News in a live interview on Friday morning, US time, adding that a person who knew the suspect turned him in. “I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody.”
Trump did not share the suspect’s identity. Authorities in Utah are due to hold a news conference imminently. You can watch a livestream of that below.
Associated Press reported an anonymous source disclosed the suspect in custody is a 22-year-old from Utah.
Kirk’s killer had eluded police and federal agents for more than 24 hours after Wednesday’s shooting, in which a sniper fired a single gunshot that killed Kirk, 31, during an appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem.
On Thursday night, the FBI was still releasing new images and video of the suspect and appealing to the public for help.
Charlier KIrk on stage at Utah Valley University just before the shooting.Credit: AP
“We worked with the local police, the governor. Everybody did a great job,” Trump told Fox. “We started off with a clip that made him look like an ant, it was almost useless. It’s amazing when you start off with that, and you get lucky - or talent, or whatever it is.”
Trump said he hoped the assassin received the death penalty, which Utah Governor Spencer Fox has already said the state will pursue.
Kirk was a prominent Trump ally, evangelical Christian and conservative activist who co-founded the political action group Turning Point USA. It was closely involved in Trump’s 2024 election campaign, including ground game co-ordination and mobilising young voters.
His assassination has rocked US politics and follows a string of acts of political violence, including the murder of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman, an arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, and last year’s attempt on Trump’s life at a rally in Pennsylvania.
Authorities recovered a high-powered, bolt-action rifle near the scene of the shooting and had said the shooter jumped off a roof and vanished into the nearby woods afterward.
Kirk had been speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of Wednesday’s shooting. He was taken to a local hospital and was pronounced dead hours later.
“He wanted to help young people, and he didn’t deserve this,” Trump said Friday. “He was really a good person.”
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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 name the suspect or cite a motive in the killing, the latest act of political violence to convulse the United States.
More to come
with Reuters, AP
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