President Donald Trump has announced that the man accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk has been captured.
Speaking on Fox & Friends Friday morning, Trump said authorities were “highly confident” they had the right person in custody. “I think, with a high degree of certainty, we have him,” he declared.
According to sources familiar with the investigation, the suspect is Tyler Robinson, a 21-year-old from Washington, Utah.
Trump revealed that a close relative—whom he described as both a minister and the suspect’s father—helped bring him in. “He was encouraged to turn himself in after law enforcement became involved through a family connection,” Trump explained.
The FBI and Utah state authorities have not yet confirmed the arrest, though CNN reported the individual was still being interviewed as of Friday morning. Officials are expected to release further details later in the day.
The update comes just two days after Kirk, 31, was gunned down at Utah Valley University during a campus event, a killing caught on video and shared worldwide. Surveillance footage released Thursday showed the gunman sprinting across the roof of the Losee Center moments after firing the fatal shot. Investigators also recovered a palm print and a Converse shoe print at the scene.
Trump, who has called Kirk “the finest person,” said he hopes prosecutors seek the death penalty. “He didn’t deserve this. He worked so hard, and everybody respected him,” Trump said, adding that Utah Governor Spencer Cox supports capital punishment in the case.
Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance and his wife traveled to Salt Lake City on Thursday, where they joined Kirk’s family in escorting his casket aboard Air Force Two back to Arizona.
Kirk, a father of two, was shot in the neck while speaking to students about political issues. He was rushed to hospital but did not survive.
Authorities say more information on Robinson’s arrest will be made public later today.