President Trump said a suspect was taken into custody for the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, who was killed Wednesday while on stage at Utah Valley University.
“I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump said during an appearance on Fox & Friends. Trump said that “somebody that was very close” to the suspect turned him in.
Trump wants the perpetrator to get the death penalty if found guilty for the killing.
The search for a suspect had been hampered by slow, confusing and contradictory information from public officials.
A high-powered rifle was recovered in a wooded area where the suspected shooter fled. Investigators say it is unclear how far the suspect might have traveled.
Vice President JD Vance met with family and close friends of Kirk in Salt Lake City on Thursday, and traveled with Kirk’s casket to Phoenix on Air Force Two. Kirk lived in Arizona, where his youth organization Turning Point was based.
Kirk, 31 years old, was one of the most influential figures on the right and played a prominent role in President Trump’s outreach to young voters during the 2024 election.
See latest updates below.