United States President Donald Trump announced, on Friday, September 12, that a suspect had been taken into custody over the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk after a massive manhunt. "We have the person that we think is the person we're looking for," he said.
"Somebody very close to him turned him in," Trump told Fox News in a live studio interview. "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," Trump said, adding: "They drove into the police headquarters, and he's there now."
On Wednesday, gunman fired a single, fatal shot killing Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing influencer who had rallied youth support for Trump, during an appearance at a Utah university.
Police say they believe the shooter fired from a rooftop up to 180 meters away, hitting Kirk in the neck. Video footage showed a figure running across a roof at the university, then jumping to the ground and making his way off campus towards some trees – apparently the location where a high-powered bolt-action rifle was recovered.
Images released on Thursday showed a man wearing Converse shoes, a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses and what appeared to be jeans, with a long-sleeved top emblazoned with a design that included an American flag. Hundreds of agents from across 20 law enforcement agencies were involved in the manhunt.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox said his state would pursue the death penalty over the case.
Reflecting the highly political nature of the killing, Kirk's coffin was transported to his home city of Phoenix on Vice President JD Vance's official plane. Footage showed Vance with his hands on the casket as it was carried to Air Force 2.
Students at Utah Valley University expressed their shock and their broader fears on Thursday, as political divisions deepen across the country.
In Orem Park, several hundred people wearing red MAGA caps and holding American flags attended a vigil on Thursday evening, where they prayed and held a moment of silence.
Kirk, whom supporters have hailed as a "martyr," co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, with his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.
The father-of-two used his audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.
The US right-wing media was in a state of grief and anger, with contributors recounting the impact Kirk had on their lives, but Trump has urged supporters to respond peacefully.
This is a developing story.