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In a sitdown interview with Fox & Friends Friday morning, President Donald J. Trump said that authorities had made an arrest in the murder of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk.
“I think with a high-degree of certainty, we have him,” Trump said, adding “essentially, someone who knew him turned him in.”
A press conference is scheduled for later Friday morning.
Trump said that the suspect’s father, “a man of faith,” recognized his son and contacted authorities.
The New York Post named the suspect as Tyler Robinson, 22, of Utah.
The Daily Mail reported that Robinson confessed to his father, a veteran of the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Robinson himself was a student at Utah Valley University, where the shooting took place.
The New York Times said he was taken into custody at about 11 p.m. Thursday night in southern Utah.
Authorities have been looking for the shooter since the Wednesday afternoon murder when Kirk, 31, was shot in the neck at an appearance at Utah Valley University, as CrimeOnline reported. On Thursday, the FBI released surveillance photos of a “person of interest” wearing a black t-shirt, blue jeans, a dark hat, and dark sunglasses.
Later Thursday, the FBI released a video showing a man in dark clothing run across the roof of the Losee Center at Utah Valley University after the shooting, then drop down the one story to the grass below. He gathers up a bag he’s carrying and runs across the yard to a nearby street.
The FBI said investigators found the gun used in the killing “in a wooded area near the university.”
“Trace evidence collected from the rooftop scene included shoe impressions, a forearm imprint, and a palm imprint,” the agency said.
On Thursday, three sources told CBS News they had a name for a person of interest, but the same sources later said that name “didn’t pan out.”
Politicians on both sides of the aisle swiftly condemned the shooting and political violence of all kinds. Such political attacks have seen a rapid increase in recent months, including the murders of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband in June by a man impersonating a police officer. That man also critically injured another state politician and his wife and had a list of dozens of Democratic lawmakers he wanted to target.
In April, a man broke into the home of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and set it on fire. The family escaped without harm.
Trump himself has been the target of two assassination attempts, both by disgruntled supporters.
Check back for more updates.
