Trump says ‘with a high degree of certainty’ that suspect in Charlie Kirk killing has been caught
OREM Utah AP President Donald Trump commented Friday that the suspect in the Charlie Kirk killing has been captured With a high degree of certainty we have him Trump communicated in a live interview on Fox News Chanel on Friday morning Trump revealed a minister who is also involved with law enforcement turned in the suspect to officers Somebody that was very close to him explained Hmm that s him Trump announced Kirk was killed by a single shot Wednesday in what police noted was a targeted attack and Utah s governor called a political assassination Kirk co-founded the nonprofit political organization Turning Point USA and was a close ally of Trump Officers recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle near the scene and had commented 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 officers on Thursday had distributed 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 Utah Valley University in Orem More than leads and tips had poured in authorities mentioned Officials 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 played an influential role 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 The shooter who investigators believe blended into the campus crowd because of a college-age appearance fired one shot from the rooftop according to bureaucrats Video circulated Thursday displayed the person then walking through the grass and across the street before disappearing I can tell you this was a targeted event reported 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 regime Kirk s casket was flown aboard Air Force Two from Utah to Phoenix where his nonprofit political youth organization Turning Point USA is based Trump stated reporters he plans to attend Kirk s funeral Details have not been publicized 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 this instant before the shooting as Kirk was taking questions from an audience member about gun violence 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 report 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 Specific 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 mentioned she has been staying inside with her door locked With the shooter not being caught yet it was a worry Murphy stated Meanwhile the shooting continued to draw swift bipartisan condemnation as Democratic authorities 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
