Police captured the suspect who fatally shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, President Donald Trump announced Friday.
Trump told Fox News he learned about the arrest minutes before going on air.
A source close to the suspect revealed the individual’s location, helping authorities make the arrest.
Public Tips Aid Investigation
FBI and Utah police released new video Thursday showing a person fleeing after Kirk’s shooting.
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said public tips produced critical leads in the manhunt.
The footage shows the suspect in sunglasses, Converse shoes, and a black American flag shirt running across a roof.
The suspect dropped from the building, crossed a busy street, and entered a wooded area where police recovered a high-powered rifle.
Authorities also released images showing the suspect carrying a backpack and descending a stairwell on campus.
Forensic Evidence Supports Case
Investigators collected rifle, shoe prints, forearm and palm imprints, fingerprints, and DNA from the escape site.
Mason said the suspect blended into campus and appeared to be of college age.
Authorities remain unsure if the suspect had fled Utah or stayed nearby and continue exploring leads.
Police have received over 7,000 tips—the largest volume since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
The FBI offered $100,000 for information leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
Officials Respond and Pledge Justice
Utah Governor Spencer Cox promised prosecutors would seek the death penalty once courts convict the suspect.
Kirk died in broad daylight while answering a gun violence question during his Utah Valley University event.
Lawmakers from both parties condemned the assassination and highlighted the growing threat of political violence in the US.
Trump expressed grief, pledged justice, and warned the attack threatens the nation’s safety.
