A young Utah man suspected of killing the influential conservative activist Charlie Kirk at a university in the city of Orem was in custody on Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox told reporters.
"We got him," Cox told reporters.
The suspect, identified as Tyler Robinson, had confessed to a family friend – or "implied that he had committed the murder" to that friend – and that person in turn had contacted the Washington County sheriff's office on Thursday (September 11).
A family member interviewed by investigators said Robinson had become more political recently and spoke in a disparaging manner about Kirk, Cox told reporters.
The incident has been described as a 'heinous assasination' by Trump after a sniper fired a single gunshot killing Kirk during his appearance at Utah Valley University in Orem.
The killer managed to elude police and police and federal agents after Kirk's death on Wednesday.
"I think we have him," Trump told Fox News in an interview, adding that a person who knows the suspect had turned him in. "I think with a high degree of certainty we have him in custody."
U.S. investigators on Thursday released photos and a video of a person of interest in the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and said they had found the rifle believed to have been used in the politically charged killing.
Security-camera videos show a person going up stairwells to get onto a roof before firing at Kirk, the officials told a press conference.
FBI and state officials said the killer arrived on the campus a few minutes before the start of the event, a debate led by Kirk titled "Prove Me Wrong" outdoors in front of 3,000 people at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, about 65 km (40 miles) south of Salt Lake City.
Kirk, a staunch defender of gun rights, was answering an audience question about mass shootings when the bullet struck his neck. Audience members fled in panic.
The FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the killer's arrest and circulated grainy images taken from security cameras showing a "person of interest" wearing a black top, black sunglasses and a dark baseball cap. The long-sleeved top was emblazoned with an image of a bald eagle flying across a U.S. flag.
A second batch of photos released by Utah state officials showed slightly clearer images of the slender young man, revealing greater details of his backpack and Converse shoes.
Officials also released video of a man climbing down off the roof from where the sniper fired the fatal round. That person left a palm imprint and other DNA materials on the building as he dropped down to the ground, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said.
The video also showed the man crossing a street and moving into a wooded area near campus, which is where authorities said they found a "high-powered, bolt-action" rifle.
The shooter has not been publicly identified, though lawmakers, commentators and online sleuths have already filled social media and message boards with speculation and blame-casting about the killer's ideology.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox appealed to the public for help.
“We cannot do our job without the public’s help right now,” he told reporters.
He said investigators had received more than 7,000 tips from the public and investigators had conducted more than 200 interviews.
FBI Director Kash Patel travelled to Utah and appeared at a press briefing with state and federal officials, but did not speak.
The 31-year-old author, was a podcast host as well as a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump. He had helped build the Republican Party's support among younger voters. He was killed on Wednesday by a single gunshot as he gave a talk at a university in Utah in what Trump called a "heinous assassination."
Investigators have yet to publicly discuss any motive, but Trump told reporters that he had an indication of the killer's motivation.
"We'll let you know about that later," he said, adding that law enforcement was making "big progress" in the investigation.
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