Former President Donald Trump said Friday that authorities have a suspect in custody for the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, though officials have yet to confirm an arrest.
President Donald Trump announced that authorities have taken into custody a suspect in the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, following a sniper attack during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University.
.@POTUS: “Essentially, somebody that was very close to him turned him in.” https://t.co/JB9H7yTs5C pic.twitter.com/TMCwKbfH2m
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 12, 2025
President Donald Trump said Friday that a suspect in the fatal shooting of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk has been arrested. “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump declared in a live Fox News interview, adding that someone who knows the suspect informed authorities.
Kirk was shot during a Turning Point USA debate event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday as he addressed a crowd of roughly 3,000. Authorities said the shooter fired a single shot from a rooftop, then fled the scene. A high-powered bolt-action rifle believed to be the murder weapon was recovered nearby.
Images and video of a “person of interest,” including surveillance footage showing someone jumping off a roof and fleeing into woods, were released as part of the manhunt. Investigators also collected forensic evidence including shoe impressions and a palm print.
Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was pronounced dead following surgery. The attack prompted widespread condemnation, and Trump said Kirk would be honored posthumously with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.