"We have a high probability of having him," Trump said."Someone close to him said, 'That's him,'" the president said. The suspect is 28 to 29 years old, according to the president. He said he wants the death penalty for him. He added that the state of Utah allows it. Its governor, Spencer Cox, has indicated that he will seek the death penalty.
US investigators earlier released photos and video of the person involved in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk and said they had recovered a rifle believed to have been used in the politically motivated murder.
American conservative commentator, author and close ally of President Donald Trump, Charlie Kirk (31), was in shot dead on Wednesday, September 10 during a speech at Utah Valley University in Orem, about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City. Trump called the act a"heinous murder."
Investigators say the gunman climbed onto the roof of one of the buildings shortly before the event began, from where he fired. Kirk, a well-known gun rights advocate, had just answered a question about mass shootings when a bullet struck his neck. The performance, titled Prove Me Wrong, was watched by about 3,000 people who fled in panic after the shooting.
Security cameras captured a suspect wearing black clothing with an eagle and American flag motifs. He left palm prints and DNA at the scene, Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said. Police found a high-powered repeating rifle near the campus. The shooter's identity has not yet been officially released.
Assassination of influencer and Trump ally Charlie Kirk (censored)
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WARNING: The video is not suitable for children or the faint of heart. American conservative political activist and influencer Charlie Kirk, who was shot while speaking on the campus of Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, has died. This was announced by US President Donald Trump. / Source: Twitter
The FBI has offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to his capture and has received more than 7,000 tips from the public. Investigators have conducted more than 200 interviews. Utah Governor Spencer Cox urged residents to help with the investigation:"We can't do our job without the public's help."
Kirk was co-founder and president of Turning Point USA and was performing in Utah as part of his 15-date American Comeback Tour. Trump announced that he would award him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States. Vice President J.D. Vance cut short his New York program and flew to join Kirk's family, who accompanied the casket back to Arizona aboard Air Force Two.
Kirk began his political activism as a teenager and described his career as shaped by his Christian faith. According to Vance, “many of the administration’s successes stem directly from Charlie’s ability to organize and bring people together.” Kirk was married with two young children.
His murder took place during a period that Reuters is calling it the most intense wave of political violence in the US since the 1970s. The agency has documented more than 300 cases of politically motivated attacks since January 2021. Trump himself has already survived two assassination attempts.
