US President Donald Trump said on Friday that authorities have “with a high degree of certainty” apprehended the suspect in the killing of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, following an extensive manhunt.
Reports said the name of the suspect is Tyler Robinson and he is a 22-yeear-old.
“I can say with a very high degree of certainty that we have him. Someone very close to him turned him in,” Trump told Fox News during a live studio interview.
Donald Trump said that a minister, who is also linked to law enforcement, handed over the suspect in Charlie Kirk’s killing to the authorities. Kirk was shot dead on Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack while giving a speech in Utah. The state governor called it a political assassination.
Who Was Charlie Kirk?
Charlie Kirk was a strong Trump supporter and right-wing activist. He had co-founded the nonprofit Turning Point USA and was a close ally of Trump. Authorities found a high-powered bolt-action rifle near the scene. Police said the shooter jumped off a roof and escaped into the nearby woods after the attack.
On Thursday, federal and state officials released photos and a video of the person they believe carried out the shooting. Kirk was speaking to a crowd in a courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem when he was shot.
Earlier, the FBI shared images and footage of the suspect fleeing the scene. Utah’s Department of Public Safety also released four photographs of the suspected gunman. The suspect is thought to be college-aged and was wearing a black, long-sleeved T-shirt with an American flag, dark sunglasses, a baseball cap, and Converse shoes, according to reports by The Mirror.
Theories Linked to Charlie Kirk’s Murder
After the Utah shooting, Charlie Kirk’s past remarks about Israel and the Epstein Files sparked speculation. In 2024, he suggested a link between Jeffrey Epstein and Mossad, but framed it as anti-corruption, not anti-Israel. A post from conspiracy theorist Harrison Smith in August claimed Kirk feared Israel might target him if he opposed them.
Pro-Israel voices dismissed the theory, noting Kirk’s strong support for Israel and the difficulty of such an operation. Utah Governor Spencer Cox called the killing a “political assassination.” Trump ordered flags at half-staff and announced Kirk would receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously, calling him “a great guy from top to bottom.” California Governor Gavin Newsom described the shooting as “disgusting, vile, and reprehensible.
