Donald Trump announced on September 12 that Charlie Kirk's suspected murderer is in police custody. The US president told Fox News that "he is in custody," after "someone that was very close to him turned him in." Trump added that a "minister" helped in his capture and they believe "with a high degree of certainty" that they have the right person.
He added: "I hope he's gonna be found guilty, I would imagine, and I hope he gets the death penalty for what he did. What he did — Charlie Kirk was the finest person and he didn’t deserve this.” The New York Post first named the alleged assassin as 22-year-old, Tyler Robinson before Utah Gov. Spencer Cox confirmed his identity at a press conference.
"We got him," he said after revealing one of Robinson's family members had turned him in to police after the suspect had "confessed to them or implied" that he was the man behind the killing. Cox added that they had found bullets for a gun inscribed with, "Hey fascist catch," and another casing reading, "If you read this you are gay lmao."
Kirk was a close Trump ally and after he was fatally shot and killed at an event in Utah on September 10, the president released a statement that read: "The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead."
"No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
The dad-of-two was addressing an audience at Otem, Utah, part of a campaign tour organized by Turning Point USA under "American Comeback," and was answering a question on gun violence and the trans rights before he was suddenly shot, throwing the audience into a panic.
In their statement, at the time, the Utah Department of Public Safety shared: "The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack. The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard. Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation."
The FBI released images of the person of interest in the case and asked for help in identifying him. They said they believed the shooter was of "college age," and male.