Trump says ‘with a high degree of certainty’ that suspect in Charlie Kirk killing has been caught

By ERIC TUCKER ALANNA DURKIN RICHER JESSE BEDAYN and HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press OREM Utah AP The suspect in the Charlie Kirk assassination has been captured President Donald Trump commented Friday in an announcement that appeared to represent a key breakthrough in an inspection that captivated population attention and spanned nearly two days With a high degree of certainty we have him Trump reported in a live interview on Fox News Chanel on Friday morning He disclosed a minister also involved with law enforcement turned the suspect whose name was not instantly known into officials Somebody that was very close to him announced Hmm that s him Trump explained The FBI and Justice Department did not promptly comment but a news conference in Utah where the killing took place on a college campus Wednesday planned a news conference for later in the morning Kirk was killed by a single shot in what police commented was a targeted attack and Utah s governor called a political assassination Kirk co-founded the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA Agents recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle near the scene and had reported the shooter jumped off a roof and vanished into the woods after the shooting Kirk was speaking at a debate hosted by Turning Point at Utah Valley University at the time of the shooting He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead hours later Federal investigators and state authorities on Thursday had disclosed photos and a video of the person they believe is responsible Kirk was shot as he spoke to a crowd gathered in a courtyard at the university in Orem This undated combination of images provided provided by the Federal Bureau of Examination shows a person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on Wednesday Sept in Orem Utah Federal Bureau of Assessment via AP More than leads and tips had poured in agents reported Leadership 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 Grisly video shared online The attack carried out in broad daylight as Kirk spoke about social issues was captured on grisly videos that spread on social media The videos show Kirk who was influential in rallying young Republican voters speaking into a handheld microphone when suddenly a shot rings out Kirk reaches up with his right hand as blood gushes from the left side of his neck Stunned spectators gasp and scream before people start running away Related Articles In Congress Colorado representatives push to limit robustness care losses How Charlie Kirk shaped a generation of young people into a conservative force Senate Republicans defeat Democrats effort to force the release of Epstein files Charlie Kirk helped build aid for Trump among young people Trump s deportation plans end in fewer immigrants and slower population advancement CBO says The shooter who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance fired one shot from the rooftop according to administration Video issued Thursday displayed the person then walking through the grass and across the street before disappearing I can tell you this was a targeted event revealed Robert Bohls the top FBI agent in Salt Lake City Trump who was joined by Democrats in condemning the violence reported he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom the highest civilian honor in the U S Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha visited with Kirk s family Thursday in Salt Lake City Vance posted a remembrance on X chronicling their friendship dating back to initial messages in through Vance s Senate run and the balloting So much of the success we ve had in this administration traces directly to Charlie s ability to organize and convene Vance wrote He didn t just help us win in he helped us staff the entire cabinet Kirk s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix where his nonprofit political youth organization is based Trump reported reporters he plans to attend Kirk s funeral Details have not been revealed Kirk was taking questions about gun violence Kirk was a conservative provocateur who became a powerful political force among young Republicans and was a fixture on college campuses where he invited sometimes-vehement debate on social issues One such provocative exchange played out at once before the shooting as Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about gun violence Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem Utah Wednesday Sept Tess Crowley The Deseret News via AP The debate hosted by Turning Point at the Sorensen Center on campus was billed as the first stop on Kirk s American Comeback Tour The event generated a polarizing campus reaction An online petition calling for university administrators to bar Kirk from appearing received nearly signatures The university issued a declaration last week citing First Amendment rights and affirming its commitment to free speech intellectual inquiry and constructive dialogue Last week Kirk posted on X images of news clips showing his visit was sparking conflict He wrote What s going on in Utah Attendees barricaded themselves in classrooms Certain attendees who bolted after the gunshot rushed into two classrooms full of students They used tables to barricade the door and to shield themselves in the corners Someone grabbed an electric pencil sharpener and wrapped the cord tightly around the door handle then tied the sharpener to a chair leg On campus Thursday the canopy stamped with the slogan Kirk commonly used at his events PROVE ME WRONG stood disheveled Kathleen Murphy a longtime resident who lives near the campus commented she has been staying inside with her door locked With the shooter not being caught yet it was a worry Murphy noted Meanwhile the shooting continued to draw swift bipartisan condemnation as Democratic agents joined Trump and other Republican allies of Kirk in decrying the attack which unfolded during a spike of political violence that has touched a range of ideologies and representatives of both major political parties Tucker and Richer released from Washington Associated Press writers Nicholas Riccardi in Denver Michael Biesecker Brian Slodysko Lindsay Whitehurst and Michelle L Price in Washington Ty O Neil in Orem Utah Hallie Golden in Seattle and Meg Kinnard in Chapin S C contributed to this summary