Suspect in Charlie Kirk murder in custody, says Trump

A suspect in the murder of Charlie Kirk has been taken into custody, President Trump confirmed on Friday. Kirk, 31, was gunned down Wednesday in what authorities described as a targeted sniper attack during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem.

For more than 24 hours, law enforcement officers at the local, state, and federal levels pursued Kirk’s killer after he fired a single shot that struck Kirk in the neck, killing him instantly.

Trump, speaking in a live interview with Fox News, characterized the assassination as “heinous” and suggested the suspect’s own family may have helped turn him in.

“I think we have him,” Trump said. “With a high degree of certainty, I believe the killer is in custody. From what I’m told, the father of the suspect drove him to a police station and handed him over.”

Trump did not disclose the identity of the alleged shooter, but the president’s remarks confirm that the FBI’s nationwide search has led to an arrest.

Charlie Kirk, author, and founder of Turning Point USA, was appearing before an audience of roughly 3,000 students at Utah Valley University when the gunman struck. The event, part of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour,” was intended to energize conservative students while engaging critics in open debate.

Security footage showed the shooter entering the campus shortly before the event began. Dressed in black clothing with sunglasses and a baseball cap, he climbed stairwells to reach a rooftop overlooking the venue.

The FBI released still images of the suspect, noting the long-sleeved shirt bore an image of a bald eagle flying across an American flag.

At the moment Kirk was answering a question about gun rights and mass shootings, the sniper fired. The bullet pierced his neck, dropping him immediately. Panic broke out as audience members fled the auditorium.

Robert Bohls, the FBI special agent in charge of the case, said the gunman leapt from the roof and escaped into a nearby residential neighborhood. By the time law enforcement locked down the area, the shooter had vanished.

Investigators scoured the university and surrounding areas, eventually locating what they described as a “high-powered, bolt-action rifle” in a wooded patch not far from the campus. The weapon is believed to be the rifle used in the assassination. Authorities also collected palm prints, footprints, and additional forensic evidence.

Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason told reporters the suspect appeared to be of “college age” and blended in easily with the student population before carrying out the attack.

Classes were canceled on Thursday as the campus was cordoned off with yellow tape. Investigators conducted an exhaustive search of the rooftop and wooded areas, while federal officials urged the public to remain alert and report suspicious activity.

Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)

By Friday morning, Trump announced that a suspect was in custody. He credited law enforcement but also emphasized that a family member’s decision to turn in the shooter played a decisive role in ending the manhunt.

Kirk’s assassination has sent shockwaves through political circles. His allies in the conservative movement mourned him as one of the most important voices of his generation, while even opponents condemned the killing as an attack on American democracy.

Kirk rose to prominence as the co-founder and president of Turning Point USA, an organization dedicated to mobilizing conservative students and challenging left-wing dominance on college campuses. Since its founding in 2012, the group has grown into a national powerhouse with conferences drawing thousands of young conservatives.

In 2019, Kirk also launched Turning Point Action, a grassroots political arm that became closely aligned with Trump’s America First agenda. He was a frequent speaker on college campuses, often hosting fiery debates with students who opposed his views.

Kirk was more than just a political organizer; he was a symbol of youthful energy in the conservative movement. His work helped reshape Republican outreach to younger voters and built an enduring infrastructure for conservative activism on campuses nationwide.

Trump announced Friday that he would posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. “Charlie Kirk loved his country, loved God, and loved the youth of America,” Trump said. “His voice will never be silenced.”

Beyond politics, Kirk was a devoted husband and father. Married to Erika Frantzve since 2021, the couple shared two young children—a daughter and a son. Friends and allies describe Kirk as a man deeply committed to his Christian faith, his family, and his mission to preserve American values for future generations.

His death has drawn statements of solidarity and sympathy from across the political spectrum, with leaders from both parties condemning political violence. Foreign governments, too, expressed concern over the climate of hostility surrounding American politics.

As Trump summed it up, “Charlie Kirk will be remembered as a great patriot who gave everything he had to America.”

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