U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Friday that a suspect in the murder of his ally and conservative activist Charlie Kirk is now in custody. Speaking on Fox & Friends, the president stated, “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody,” and credited someone “very close” to the suspect with turning him in. He added that the FBI would make an official announcement later in the day.
Trump praised the authorities for their work, saying that “everybody worked together to nab the accused.” He also vowed that Kirk’s killer should receive the death penalty.
The announcement comes after days of a massive manhunt following Kirk’s assassination on Wednesday. The 31-year-old activist was fatally shot while addressing an open debate at Utah Valley University. Authorities had previously released images of a “person of interest” and offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
The president paid tribute to Kirk, whom he called “like a son” to him. He described Kirk as a “brilliant guy” who “helped me with TikTok” and said that Kirk “didn’t deserve this.” He also mentioned that he had spoken with Kirk’s widow, Erika, who is “absolutely devastated.”
This marks a major development in the case, which has drawn widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. Previous reports had been conflicting, with initial claims of an arrest quickly walked back by authorities, including a premature social media post from FBI Director Kash Patel. The latest information from the president suggests a significant breakthrough in the investigation.