Charlie Kirk assassination: Suspect in custody, confirms President Donald Trump

Utah: President Donald Trump said on Friday, that authorities have apprehended a suspect in connection with the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. "I think we have him," Trump said, expressing strong confidence that the individual believed to have fired the fatal shot is now in custody. He told Fox News that a friend of the suspect was instrumental in turning him in.

The shooting occurred at Utah Valley University on September 10, when Kirk was addressing a crowd during a "Prove Me Wrong" debate. The suspect is reported to have opened fire from an elevated position about 200 yards from the event tent, striking Kirk once in the neck. After the shooting, a large-scale manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, local police, and the Utah Department of Public Safety, was launched.

Authorities have released images and video of a "person of interest", but initially detained and then released two individuals unrelated to the shooting. A high-powered rifle believed to be the weapon used in the attack was recovered from a nearby wooded area.

President Trump expressed profound grief and described Kirk as a "martyr for truth and freedom," calling the assassination a "dark moment for America." Utah Governor Spencer Cox labelled the incident a political assassination and reiterated that the death penalty remains in force in the state.