US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed that a suspect has been taken into custody in connection with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, following a nationwide manhunt.
Speaking during a live Fox News interview, Trump revealed that the arrest was facilitated by a tip-off from someone close to the suspect.
> “Somebody very close to him turned him in,” Trump said. “The person 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.”
Law enforcement sources identified the suspect as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson.
The arrest followed an intensive search effort that involved hundreds of agents across 20 law enforcement agencies. Authorities had circulated surveillance images and later released a video on Thursday showing the suspect climbing down from a roof after the shooting. Officials also confirmed that investigators had secured “good video footage” of the incident and recovered the firearm used.
Kirk, 31, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was gunned down on Wednesday while addressing a large crowd during his signature “Prove Me Wrong” debate series at Utah Valley University. His body was flown back to Arizona on Thursday aboard Vice President JD Vance’s plane.
Trump paid tribute to Kirk as “a patriot and a fighter”, while political leaders across party lines condemned the killing and called for an end to political violence in the United States.
