U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the suspect in the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a right-wing activist and one of his allies, has been arrested.
“I think we’ve got him,” President Trump said on September 12 in an interview with Fox News. The U.S. leader added that a relative of the suspect had turned him in. The suspect is currently being held in police custody, according to Reuters.
Trump further stated: “I think with a high degree of certainty, we have him in custody.” The president did not disclose the suspect’s identity.
The White House leader expressed his wish that the perpetrator would face the death penalty. When asked if he wanted to watch the video of activist Charlie Kirk being shot, President Trump replied: “I don’t want to. I don’t want to remember Charlie Kirk that way.”
The suspect in Kirk’s assassination evaded police and federal agents for more than 24 hours following the shocking attack on September 10. Earlier, on September 11, U.S. investigators reported they had recovered a sniper rifle believed to have been used by the suspect to kill Kirk. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also released blurry images—apparently taken from surveillance cameras—showing a “suspect” dressed in black, wearing dark sunglasses and a dark baseball cap. The long-sleeved shirt appeared to be decorated with an image of a bald eagle flying across the American flag.
FBI and state officials said the gunman arrived at the venue just minutes before the debate event hosted by Kirk was set to begin. The gathering drew more than 3,000 people at Utah Valley, about 65 kilometers south of Salt Lake City.
Kirk, a close ally of President Trump, had played a key role in building and expanding Republican support among younger voters. President Trump told Fox News that he would attend Kirk’s funeral, which is scheduled to take place next week.
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