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President Donald Trump said Friday that authorities have taken someone into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, though he cautioned that the information is preliminary.
Speaking on “Fox & Friends,” Trump said a minister with law enforcement ties contacted the father of a suspect, who was then turned over to authorities. Trump described the person as “the person we’re looking for,” but neither the FBI nor other law enforcement agencies immediately confirmed his account.
Kirk, a close ally of Trump, was shot and killed Wednesday while speaking at an event at Utah Valley University. Authorities released photos and video of a person seen on a nearby rooftop at the time of the shooting, asking the public for help identifying them.
Video from the campus showed the suspect running across the roof, dropping to the ground, and walking across a busy street before disappearing into a wooded area. The FBI recovered a high-powered bolt-action rifle from that area. Investigators also released images of a man in a stairwell wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a black shirt with an eagle and an American flag. Officials said they are analyzing forearm, palm, and shoe prints left on the edge of the building.
Officials believe the suspect appeared “college-aged” and blended in with the campus crowd. They said the person arrived shortly before noon and climbed a stairway to the roof of the university building, where the shooting occurred.
Investigators are continuing to piece together the events surrounding the shooting as the investigation unfolds.
*Source: New York Times
