OAN Staff Sophia Flores
5:00 PM – Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Utah Governor Spencer Cox condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk as a brazen “political assassination,” which underscores the gravity of violence targeting public figures during events meant for open discourse. The governor also reiterated that a person of interest is now in custody.
During a press conference on Wednesday, Cox (R-Utah) announced that a “person of interest is in custody.” He also stated that there is no indication of a second suspect, according to local police.
“We have a person of interest in custody that is being interviewed right now,” he said. “There is no information that would lead us to believe that there is a second person involved.”
Cox was also questioned about an earlier report concerning a possible suspect, George Zim, and his arrest in connection with the shooting. However, law enforcement agencies have confirmed that Zim is facing unrelated charges and is not connected to the shooting incident.
The viral clip circulating online showed Zim kneeling on the ground and telling officers, “I have the right to remain silent.”
Meanwhile, officials have since revealed that the shooter fired only one bullet at the 31-year-old conservative speaker. Right before being shot in the neck, Kirk had been answering a question regarding transgenders committing mass shootings. In his response, he stated that he may he “criticized” for his viewpoint on the topic.
Governor Cox condemned those celebrating the assassination of Kirk.
“If anyone in the sound of my voice celebrated even a little bit at the news of this shooting, I would beg you to look in the mirror and to see if you can find a better angel in there somewhere. I don’t care what his politics are. I care that he was an American.”
He also notified the public that there will be updates as soon as law enforcement has more information. The governor sent his condolences to Kirk’s loved ones and he expressed that Utah as a state stands for free speech and expression.
“Nothing I say can unite us as a country. Nothing I can say right now can fix what is broken. Nothing I can say can bring back Charlie Kirk. Our hearts are broken,” he said. “We mourn with his wife, his children, his family, his friends. We mourn as a nation.”
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