Journalism of Courage
Charlie Kirk assassination: US President Donald Trump said on Friday “with a high degree of certainty” that the suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk has been caught, adding that someone “very close to him turned him in.”
Trump, in an interview with Fox news on Friday said: “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him — in custody … everyone did a great job we worked with the local police, the governor, everybody did a great job.”
Kirk, 31, was shot dead on Wednesday while addressing students at Utah Valley University, in what Utah Governor Spencer Cox described as a “political assassination.”
Trump, who made the announcement during an interview on “Fox & Friends”, called Kirk “the finest person,” while blasting the shooter adding that he hopes that the suspect gets death penalty.
“I hope that he was going to be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty. What he did, Charlie Kirk, was the finest person but he didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard and so well. Everybody liked him. I’ve been watching even the left is having a hard time,” he added.
As per a report by NBC, authorities have identified the suspect as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson of Utah. Additionally, as per a report by The New York Times the man was taken into custody on Thursday at 11pm MT (the local time zone in Utah), by Utah state and local police.
However, the person in custody has not been named and law enforcement officials have yet to formally announce any arrest. Trump suggested that the suspect in Kirk’s killing was tracked down through a minister who contacted a law enforcement ally, eventually involving the suspect’s father in the process.
Trump also said that he chose not to watch the widely circulated videos of Kirk’s shooting, explaining he “didn’t want to remember Charlie that way,” after hearing enough about the incident.
Kirk, the co-founder and president of Turning Point USA, was addressing a Turning Point debate at Utah Valley University when he was shot. Though he was rushed to a hospital, he died later. On Thursday, federal and state investigators released photos and video of the suspected gunman, and officials said they received more than 7,000 leads.
Authorities also recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle near the scene after the shooter leapt from a rooftop and fled into nearby woods. The attack took place in broad daylight as Kirk addressed students on social issues, with harrowing videos of the moment quickly circulating online. The footage showed Kirk clutching his neck as blood pours from a gunshot wound, while shocked spectators scream and scatter.
Investigators believe the assailant, who blended in with the campus crowd due to a youthful appearance, fired a single shot from a rooftop before calmly walking away and vanishing. “I can tell you this was a targeted event,” said Robert Bohls, the FBI’s top agent in Salt Lake City.
Trump, joined by Democrats in condemning the killing, announced that Kirk would be posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha visited Kirk’s family in Salt Lake City, with Vance later paying tribute to their long friendship and Kirk’s central role in mobilising Republican support in 2024.
Kirk’s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two to Phoenix, the headquarters of his youth political organisation. Trump said he intends to attend the funeral, with details yet to be announced.
The suspect has not been publicly identified, nor has a motive been disclosed, as the killing marks yet another episode of political violence shaking the United States.
