Police arrested the suspect who shot conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah, President Donald Trump confirmed Friday.
Trump told Fox News he learned about the arrest minutes before his appearance.
A source close to the alleged shooter revealed the suspect’s location, enabling authorities to make the arrest.
Public Tips Drive Investigation
FBI and Utah police released video Thursday showing the suspect fleeing after Kirk’s shooting on a college campus.
Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said public tips produced crucial leads for the ongoing manhunt.
The footage shows a person in sunglasses, Converse shoes, and a black shirt with an American flag running across a roof.
The suspect jumped from the building, crossed a street, and entered a wooded area where police recovered a high-powered rifle.
Officials released photos showing the suspect wearing a backpack and climbing down stairwells.
Evidence and Leads Expand
Authorities collected the rifle, forearm, palm, and shoe imprints, along with fingerprints and DNA from the scene.
Police received over 7,000 tips, the highest number since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
The FBI offered $100,000 for information leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest.
Mason said the suspect blended into the campus and appeared to be college-aged.
Authorities remained uncertain if the suspect stayed in Utah or fled to another state.
Nation Reacts to Shooting
Utah Governor Spencer Cox vowed prosecutors would seek the death penalty once the suspect faces trial.
Kirk died in daylight while answering a question about gun violence during his Utah Valley University event.
Republican and Democrat lawmakers condemned the assassination, highlighting rising political violence in the US.
Trump expressed grief, pledged justice, and said he feared for the country after Kirk’s killing.
